


Madoka Magica Commentary

by Wicked08



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Attempt at Humor, F/F, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-10-01 12:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10189763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wicked08/pseuds/Wicked08
Summary: I'm re-watching every episode of Madoka Magica and giving my thoughts on the show, serious or otherwise.While I may have some shippy moments throughout, it's not the main focus of this fic.





	1. Episode One: Once upon a dream

Exposition:

So why am I commenting on and analyzing every episode of Madoka Magica? Well, A. it’s fun and B. I got the inspiration from various live-blogs and posts. Also, I’d like to try for it to be fun for the readers, and because I like to lovingly poke fun of shows I like, hence the “commentary”. The descriptions, serious or humorous, and summary of the episodes events will be in paragraph form. My commentary and analysis will be in this form: ((blah blah blah))  
Spoilers ahoy: it’s fanfiction what did you expect

Episode One: Once upon a dream

Note: I am watching the English dub for this series

We begin our journey with our bubblegum haired protagonist Madoka Kaname trapped in a surrealist painting, opening up to a war zone and she is clearly crap your pants terrified. She sees another girl attempting to fight off the creature causing this destruction.  
((This is Homura Akemi, a love interest…. I mean magical girl. For the most part she’s doing pretty well fighting Walpurgisnacht she’s able to fight off most of it’s advances with only a few injuries…until she sees Madoka and starts panicking.))

Madoka being the city’s residential sweetheart can’t stand to see her suffer, especially since the entire scene is framed to look like Homura is screaming for someone to help her. We then meet Satan… I mean Satan…I mean Kyubey, whose manipulative creepy self convinces her to make a contract with him.  
((From the beginning the show gives us a lot of information about Satan… Kyubey, screw it I’m just calling him Satan. For example Satan is pretty damn calm for someone surrounded by the apocalypse, showing that how many people are being hurt or killed by the thing attacking, doesn’t really concern him))  
Satan: You have the power to change this destiny…. All this destruction, you can change it. The power to do so lies in you.  
Madoka: …Even someone like me can help  
*agrees to become a magical girl*  
((I’ve got to hand it to the writers of this show. The first time hearing this scene’s dialogue, manipulation isn’t the first to come to mind. In a lot of magical girl shows, and shows about kid heroes in general, someone tells the main character of how they’re the chosen guardian, the one with special powers who can protect and change the world. What makes Kyubey’s manipulation so powerful throughout the series is how subtle he can make it seem. Props to Madoka too, she’s willing to fight for her city, and based on this conversation doesn’t have the” you can make a wish” focus she doesn’t expect to gain anything out of fighting and possibly dying.))  
*Cut to the next timeline*  
And opening Credits!!

Ok, back to the show. We are then treated to some adorable scenes with the Kaname family, including a highly relatable scene where Madoka’s mother does her best to sleep in. Madoka talks with her mother about various school shenanigans.  
Madoka: Hitomi got another love letter this month  
Mom: If he can’t say it to her face he’s not worth it  
((So the idea behind this exchange is that if you don’t tell someone you love them directly then that love will be ignored or tossed aside, or if you care about someone you give explanations about why you’re acting the way you do. I sense some foreshadowing.))  
((Some details I love is how when Madoka’s washing her face and has water in her eyes, her mom pushes the towel toward her, and afterwards Madoka asks her mother for hair ribbon advise. It’s a subtle way to show how close these two are and to show a realistic act of how they care for each other and respect each other’s opinions.))  
Mom: You’re secret admirers are going to get Wobbly in the knees  
Madoka: I don’t have secret admirers

*Cut to Homura*

No… Sorry folks (shuffles papers) first we get a scene with Madoka running late to meet her friends.

((She even eats her late-for-school toast before the next scene. See even the first episode is subverting anime tropes.))

We meet seaweed hair and Sayaka, aka. the girl who will make you cry thousands of tears.  
((So what we know about Madoka Kaname is that she has a loving home life and two friends who she seems pretty close with, and she seems happier than most middle school girls would be at her age. In short she has the typical magical girl protagonist pre-superhero life.))

They discuss the topic of love letters and boys, with Madoka offhandedly says she wants a love letter.

Sayaka: *playfully* you tricked your Mom into telling you the secret to being popular…. I’m not going to let you be popular with the boys. You’re mine Madoka…!

((Enjoy the cuteness while it lasts folks, the gods of Madokaland are not kind))

((Aside from being adorable, we’re given a subtle indicator of Sayaka’s insecurities. Throughout her character arc, she looks for ways to be special, and according to every single piece of media ever it’s to have a boyfriend, hell I remember watching a “teen show” where one of the girls was upset because she a virgin at 14 years old. In addition, if both her friends get boyfriends before her then, well, what does that say about her. In middle school, the focus with dating isn’t on falling in love with someone, the focus was more on the idea of someone noticing and caring about her in a way that was “more than just a friend.” This will be analyzed further when we meet Violin boy.))

 

The trio goes to class and their teacher is having a nuclear meltdown as a result of her breakup, ranting about how you shouldn’t judge someone by how they cook their eggs.

((We crack the eggs to create the omelet of revolution (sorry wrong show). Also, if I remember correctly there are objects in this series are shaped like eggs. I wonder what they could be...))

Now we meet Homura Akemi, who is described as extremely gorgeous despite having the same face design as all of the characters on this show. Homura’s eyes meet with Madoka‘s and she’s unable to look away from her until the next scene.  
((Is it the most HOLLY CRAP Homura knows her moment, well of course not, but it does start to get the plot rolling))

((One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard about the show is how one dimensional the characters are, and this complaint is slightly justified, since the show is structured as:  
Episode 1: introduction; episode 2: exposition; episodes 3-12: plot, angst, and tears. Unfortunately, Sayaka and Madoka, for reasons I’ll get into later, are the victims of this structure. Homura, however, is not. Out of all the characters on this show her actions are direct but restrained, but her emotions are crouched in subtlety and yet she’s clearly considering which emotion to show. Even this early in the series you can tell that there is a reason she’s so detached.))

 

Homura asks Madoka to take her to the nurse’s office, and Madoka nervously replies ok.  
Sh*t goes south really fast.

Their small talk through the scene is a little…off.

((As this scene goes on it’s important to note how Homura’s face is starts to contort in a way that is either anger or sadness. I think it’s a mixture of both. The gods of Madokaland have not been kind to Homura, and she’s sad about the likelihood of how this timeline will end and angry at how Kyubey aka. Satan is using everybody for his own selfish purposes.))  
Homura is detached and unemotional cause she’s clearly seen some sh*t, and Madoka so nervous your tempted to reach through the screen to save her from the awkwardness.

((Seriously I just want to give both these girls a hug, and we’re only in the first episode.))

Homura: Madoka Kaname, do you treasure the life you currently live and do you consider you family and your friends precious?  
Madoka: Well.. of course I do…  
Homura: Do you mean it?

((Geez Homura, what did you expect her to say? “No I don’t I, lied and I’m very miserable,”” I mean, from her point of view you just met each other.))

((Seriously though, I think this time line is where Homura is at her most desperate, she has lived through "countless" deaths, and through this timeline Homura is more of the “kill first ask questions later” type. These questions are just a last ditch reasoning tactic of “Well nothing else worked so maybe just asking if she’s happy will stop her from trying to be a magical girl.””))

After Homura goes through her “if you change everyone ‘s gonna die k thx bye” speech, she proceeds to dazzle the hell out of everybody in the class.  
((Homura: *bored out of her mind*))

We also get our first glimpse of creepy Satan (Kyubey), with his creepy stalker face, creepily watching the girls from the shadows like a creep.  
((How long has Satan been planning to approach Madoka, a day, a week, hell maybe a year! Imagine an creature stalking you, learning your everyday routine, taking note of who your friends are, learning about your likes and dislikes, your insecurities, your hopes and dreams, your interactions with your family. Imagine this creepy bastard waiting for the right moment to give him what he wants, and using every single piece of that information against you.))

*Cut to the mall*

Madoka relays to Sayaka and seaweed hair what Homura said 2 scenes ago, Sayaka is disgusted and seaweed wants more information about the Madoka x Homura relationship.  
((So Sayaka’s first real impression of Homura is, a girl who may or may not have threatened her best friend, and that’s pretty much going to taint whatever action she does through the series. Plus Homura’s “so moe it makes her sick,” and everyone knows too much moe can give someone a cavity, so a smart move on Sayaka’s part))  
Madoka: I first met her in a dream…or something  
Sayaka: *laughing* The anime character in you is popping out.  
((Hey Sayaka be careful where your leaning, I don’t want to buy a new screen))  
Sayaka: You guys knew each other in a past life and fate has… brought you back together again  
((The analyzer in me: Through the episode the writers were careful to put foreshadowing in a humorous tone to avoid diverting from the show’s beginning tone. This joke is part of the overall theme of the show on how you can’t fight your fate and how destiny will catch up to you in ways you don’t realize until you’re caught in the middle.))  
((The shipper in me: *singsong voice* they were girlfriends))  
Seaweed hair tries to come up with a rational explanation for this dream

((The gods of Madokaland pity you))

((Also this scene establishes that, out of the three, seaweed, in addition to being the most admired by boys, and the prettiest (anime face), she’s also super rich, it would be pretty easy to feel inadequate to her, as Sayaka would later prove)

Seaweed leaves the group, and Sayaka and Madoka head to the music store so Sayaka can get something for violin boy.  
((He’s not worth it Sayaka))

Meanwhile Satan is running for his life while Homura is about to kill him.  
((Yay!! I mean boo… Oh who am I kidding, YAAAY!!!))

Satan: Help Me, Madoka Help me!!

((Don’t listen to him Madoka, just put your headphones back on and pretend you didn’t hear))

Madoka runs off to try and help him, and everyone in the audience is collectively face-palming.

((I’ve got to hand it to Madoka though, the girl is scared out of her wits, and she still keeps going because “someone might be in danger,” that requires a lot of guts and anyone who dismisses her as a coward, I will gladly point to this scene.))  
Satan drops in, literally, and is injured pretty badly and while Homura is trying to get Madoka away from him, Madoka tries to get Homura to stop hurting him.  
Satan: (weak voice) Help me  
((I’m caring about him as much as a pile of dead fish would))

((Satan’s actions in this scene are eerily calculated. He knows that nothing Homura does will hurt him in the long run, and is milking the “I’m a helpless cute animal” angle for all it’s got. Satan considers any emotion to be a weakness human’s share. He also knows that caring about others is Madoka’s “weakness,” and is able to both gain Madoka’s pity and discredit Homura’s current and future actions.))

Madoka: Leave him alone why are you trying to hurt him?

((As much as I want Homura to blow up that f**ker, I’ve got to give props to Madoka for standing up to Homura and trying to understand why she’s acting the way she is. It’s a rather understated moment showing how brave Madoka can be if given a chance.))  
Sayaka shows up out of nowhere to spray Homura with a fire extinguisher.

((Try to hurt my best friend will you, I think the f**k not))

We enter an acid trip, a.k.a. a witch’s barrier.

Homura: Why is this happening now?

((I thought the same thing the first time I watched this show.))  
Sayaka asks some questions the audience is currently thinking including: Is that thing alive  
Madoka: I don’t know  
((You don’t know!! You said that it was crying out for help, how could you not know?))  
Madoka: I don’t know why this is happening.  
((Oh… well, that makes more sense.))  
The two become more and more terrified the more they realize they can’t escape the witch’s barrier.  
((Geez, I’d forgotten how much nightmare fuel there was in the early episodes. I mean, they’re alone with no magical powers, those cotton ball things are about to cut them up, and they’re chanting in German.))

The girls are saved at the last minute by Mami Tomoe, a character known for two reasons: her enormous talent fighting witches, and the way she moves the plot ahead.

She says Satan (Kyubey) is a friend of hers, and thanks them for rescuing him.  
((Mami’s voice, like Homura’s, usually remains calm despite whatever sh*t goes down around her, but unlike Homura she still has a relatively warm way of speaking. I love how they foil each other, one magical girl who still expresses a desire to connect to others, and one so tired of the bloodshed she just gave up.))  
Mami begins her transformation sequence and fights the witch.  
((Two things I noticed about Mami’s transformation is when her foot drags it leaves a trail of dust, and her flowers created from her transformation sequence look plastic, almost like flowers a witch would create….))

Mami unleashes a legion of guns, and destroys the witch’s barrier with a fireball of bullets. Then Homura shows up.  
((Cue Epic western style stare down))  
((Those two have clearly had a falling out shortly before this episode, how much do you want to bet that falling out was Satan related?))  
Mami heals Satan ((Boo)), and he introduces himself  
Satan: Thank you very much. My name is Kyubey!  
((Hello Kyubey, My name is Hannah, You killed my favorite characters, prepare to die *blows you up Homura style*))  
Satan reveals he knows their names because he’s a creepy stalker… I mean a magical creature looking for a favor.  
Satan: I want you to make contracts with me and become magical girls.

((And with that line the show starts its theme of choice vs. destiny? Most show say “you’re the chosen one you must fight cause of reasons,” Madoka Magica on the other hand gives their protagonists a choice whether or not to fight. In addition, the show asks, why does destiny choose a person to fight? Can you truly make a choice if someone is swaying you to one specific outcome? What reason would a person give to the question, why did you choose to fight? Are those reasons for fighting, enough that one would be willing to die for them?))  
((It also makes me want to kill him, but that’s a different topic.))

Madoka Magica Talley  
Times I cried: zero  
Homura uses her weapons: zero  
Sayaka says “for realz:” zero  
Amount of guns Mami uses: I’m going to say… 50  
Times I wanted to kill Satan (Kyubey): 4


	2. Chapter 2:  Steamrolling exposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: all translations are from the Madoka Magica wiki page

We begin our episode as a flashback of the previous one. Mami is still adorable and Satan (Kyubey) is still punch able. Madoka wakes up and realizes it wasn’t a dream when she sees Satan is in her room and was watching her sleep.  
((Oh god, I’m getting Twilight flashbacks. Maybe I should have nicknamed him Creepward.))  
Credits!!  
((That scene won’t be the last Satan aka. Creepward aka. Kyubey disregards their boundaries.))  
Madoka and her mother are getting ready, and Madoka’s starting to hide the truth from her mom. Madoka looks back to Satan who’s listening to their conversation.  
((This gives Satan a double advantage, he gets a closer look at Madoka’s interactions with her family, while showing her “ hey people can see me only if I want them to, so if I do anything to you you’re on your own.”))  
*Flashback to the previous evening*  
We get a look at Mami’s apartment; she lives alone so it’s small but has a lot of homey items.  
((I wonder how much free time she had in order to get all those. Side note: where can I get that cake they’re eating, my mouth is watering just looking at it.))  
Mami: *Gently* Since Kyubey chose the two of you, that means you’re both involved like it or not.  
((Oh Mami, you have no idea how right you are))  
Mami offers some plot details such as showing them a soul gem, which looks suspiciously like an egg. This egg is their magic source, and is a symbol of their status as a magical girl.  
((In other words it serves as their transformation objects))  
Satan says that when you become a magical girl, he’ll grant one wish.

((I’ve called Kyubey Satan many times through the past two chapters and most people agree with me by comparing Madoka Magica to Faust, and in a sense that is both accurate and inaccurate. It’s accurate because, in that tale Faust makes a deal with the devil, with Satan serving him until Faust experiences a moment of pure happiness, and in exchange Faust will serve Satan in hell once he experiences that moment. How is Kyubey different from Faust’s Satan? In Faust, the devil EXPLICITLY lays out the terms of the contract saying “ ok. here’s the contract’s exact terms, there’s a 99.9 % chance you’re going to hell are you ok with that?” Kyubey **doesn’t** give out his contract’s terms. He lies to them by implying that his terms are beneficial for both parties. He continues his lies throughout the series up until the last few episodes when he has no choice but to tell the truth.))

Sayaka: For realz?  
((We have our first for realz folks; it’s time to start poppin bottles))  
The girls reminisce over any wish they could have, until they learn they’d have to fight wishes.  
Sayaka: We could wish for eternal youth, treasure, or a 108-course banquet  
*back to the present time*  
Madoka asks her mom what she would wish for if given the chance. Her mom gives various wishes related to how she could end up with a promotion.  
Madoka: What would you do if you were the C.E.O  
Mom:… If I could get enough support from the sales department, the planning committee and general affairs… interesting  
((Damn Madoka’s mom is awesome. I want a spin off series: Ms. Kaname: the career Woman))  
((The above exchange also shows a foil between the wishes an adult would make vs. those someone Madoka and Sayaka would make. This is why Satan chooses middle school aged girls for magical girl duties. While an adult would make a wish that’s specific and directly selfish, thus giving them what they’d truly want, someone Madoka and Sayaka’s age would wish for something more fantastical in nature, and probably not what they’d truly want. I can’t blame them though, I didn’t know what I wanted in middle school, hell I’m not sure what I want half the time now.))  
*Back to flashback*  
Sayaka asks what a witch is and Kyubey and Mami give the cliff notes version “Uhh… magical girls are good, witches are bad,” and because of them “everything is sh*t and people are dying.” Mami throughout this conversation puts emphasis on “ the gods of Madokaland are not kind and you can die with one wrong choice.”

((when you look at her through the glass table head seems to be disconnected from her body… interesting))  
((Mami’s words on how easy it is to die seem to be from her own experience rather than information Satan might give out, after all in later episodes he doesn’t even give the girls information about **their own powers**. When Mami first became a magical girl, odds are that she assumed at first these were the level 1 monster-of-the-week type of character in magical girl shows, but quickly learned that, yes these witches are hard to beat, and yes they can kill you very easily.))  
Mami offers to take the girls on a few witch-hunt, and ease the girls to make a decision whether or not there’s anything they’d be willing to put their life at risk.  
((I’ve seen variations of this topic in a lot in superhero shows, most likely in the form of “Why do you continue to be a hero?” The answer, depending on the tone of the show, ranges from “well nobody else will do it” to “ it’s the right thing to do,” but where most of these shows deal with those who already have power, rarely is the question of “What specific thing would make you want to give up a normal life, and why are you willing to die for it?))  
*flashback ended*

Madoka walks to school with her friends, bringing Satan with her. Ewww. Satan can also read their minds. Double ewww.  
Sayaka: You mean we have magical powers for Realz?  
((Our 2nd for frealz. We’re on fire))  
Satan: It’s kind of a handy trick don’t you think.  
((Where’s Homura with her endless supply of bullets when you need her?))  
Seaweed hair is starting to be self aware about her status as a third wheel, and is getting the wrong idea about their “after school activities.”  
Seaweed (hyperventilating): Girls can’t love girls, girls can’t love girls, girls can’t love girls  
((Not gonna lie, 90% of the reason I’m reviewing the dub is just so I can hear that ridiculous line))  
((I also love how, aside from Sayaka’s “really,” Madoka and Sayaka seem unfazed by this whole exchange))

Back in school, the magical girl gang wonders if Homura will attack Satan in the middle of class, before finally deciding against it since Mami will protect him.  
((Assuming there are hundred different timelines, in a few of them Homura probably killed Satan when he was with Mami, Homura will never admit it but those were her favorite timelines))

*Flashback*  
The girls talked about Homura the previous evening. Satan said that she was after him, because she didn’t want Madoka to make a contract with him.  
((GEE, I WONDER WHY??))

Mami: It’s more common for magical girls to fight each other…for rewards

((If they know about their soul gem, I can’t blame them))  
*end flashback*  
Sayaka: Don’t worry Madoka, if she tries anything, I’ll punch her lights out  
((I don’t think that will work with grenades))

Sayaka: Besides Mami’s here  
Mami: (playfully) That’s right I’m here, so everything will be fine regardless of Sayaka’s punches  
Sayaka: (angry) What do you mean regardless!

((Sayaka has played the role of Madoka’s protector, for the past 2 episodes, as evidenced by last episode when she “protected” Madoka from Homura. This seems to be an unspoken agreement between the two, and judging by the compilation movies, these two have known each other since elementary school. Sayaka probably protected Madoka from bullies since day one, and over time Madoka has become more and more outwardly “weaker.” I think that this, in addition to the above dialogue, is a subtle foreshadowing of how Sayaka does want to protect other people but also wants attention, and how it reflects how Sayaka’s selflessness and selfishness can easily intertwine in ways even she doesn’t realize.))  
((Side note: A little detail I thought was cute is how Seaweed hair is pouting through the entire classroom scene))

Later on the rooftop, during lunch ((Satan you don’t deserve Madoka’s lunch)), the two girls talk about what they’re going to wish for. Both of them are as clueless as Cher Horowitz. Mostly they’re hesitant about the whole “risk your life” portion of being a magical girl.

Satan: That’s odd most girls accept my offer right away.  
((remember this quote next episode, while keeping in mind how he stalks his candidates for god knows how long.))  
Sayaka wonders why Satan is asking if they want a contract, since there are so many people in the world who would need a wish more than they do. She flashes back to Violin boy as she says this.

((Sayaka he’s not worth it, if anything wish for a school uniform with a longer skirt, there’s a reason Homura wears tights.))  
*Homura appears*  
((Right as they’re taking about wishing for someone else hmm…))

Mami shows up on a different ledge to stop Houmra from blowing up Satan  
((Geez Mami when did you get there?))

Homura: I’m not here to fight; I wanted to kill it before it made contact with Madoka Kaname. It’s too late for that now  
((Homura throughout the anime shows that while desperate, she’s still keeping a lid on her anger for Satan because she knows Madoka has a very soft and caring heart and wants to avoid any physical violence unless “absolutely necessary,” in Homura’s ideal timeline Satan would never even contacted Madoka in the first place, but Madokaland isn’t an ideal world, so Homura’s just going to whatever she can without intentionally hurting Madoka physically))

Madoka: Homura wait! I’d like to know what you wished for when you became a magical girl  
Homura: *looks at Madoka then walks off alone into the darkness*  
((Damn you episode 10))

((In this scene Homura’s sad piano cover of her theme is playing, and the only times that version is playing is when she’s at her most vulnerable. Out of all the timelines I think that this is the one where Homura is constantly willing herself away from the edge of despair))  
The cotton candy haired duo meet back with seaweed hair, they tell her that they have “activities” to do. Seaweed runs off because “three’s a crowd.”  
((I like how she says “something private” before this, like, child you are in middle school, what even is your thought process?))  
Homura also turns down an invitation for coffee.  
((Homura seems a little sad when she turns down this offer; I think that she has some regrets about her “must isolate myself from others” policy, Homura seems to serve as a deconstruction of the “I work alone” method of superheroes. It may serve as a shield from pain in the short run, but over time the loneliness wears you down.))  
Mami and the dynamic duo prepare to fight witches, Sayaka even brought a bat.  
((A for effort Sayaka, also I like how even Satan seems surprised with her bringing the bat, as though it’s so unusual that even he’s thinking “seriously?))  
Madoka brings her drawings, which is only slightly less useful than said bat .  
((She even drew Mami and Homura; I think it’s sweet how even though they’re distant Madoka still thinks of Homura as a “fellow magical girl”))

The group starts looking for the witch, with Mami using her soul gem as a tracking devise.  
((So their soul gems can track witches…  
The first time I watched this show: That doesn’t make any sense.  
The second time: *Headdesk*))  
Since the witch was gone for a day it’s hard to track. Mami didn’t go after it because she didn’t want to leave them alone.  
((Mami seems to work as a foil for Homura. Both seemed to have a policy to work alone but for different reasons. Homura, because she wants to protect Madoka and she knows the horrible truths involved with becoming a magical girl and protect her from that fate. Mami, from what I’ve gathered, doesn’t seem to know anything, so she works alone strictly because of the competition for grief seeds. Since Mami doesn’t know sh*t, she’s more than happy to bring in new recruits, because she’s tired of being lonely and wants to reach out to others and bond with people who are in the same situation as her, and won’t screw her over for a grief seed.))  
((A good reflection of this is Mami’s transformation theme. I’ve looked up Mami’s theme for any translation information, and the lyrics are in a made up language that’s a combination of different languages, in other words it doesn’t mean anything. So the happiest theme of the series turns out to be hollow.))

Madoka: (regretfully) I’m sorry  
((Give this child a hug))  
Sayaka: You’re an ally of justice Mami unlike [Homura].  
Madoka: I wonder is [Homura] really a bad person?

((Madoka seems to adopt the favorite ideology in magical girl shows, the “nobody’s a bad person we all have some good in us,” It would be easy to dismiss her ideals as being naïve and agree with Sayaka especially since Madokaland is such a crapsack world, but Sayaka’s later proven that she has a rather black and white way of looking at the world “ if you’re not truly selfless, then you must be terrible.” This view of hers will later come back to bite her in later episodes))

We see a woman walking though the witch’s barrier in order to try to kill herself.  
((The witch’s barrier contains a quote from Faust, where roughly translated it states, “be the mighty one who destroys and rebuilds the world”. Through the series’ context it seems to mean: the witches (those who destroy) and magical girls (those who rebuild). Another interpretation is the “mighty one” is Satan (Kyubey), since he’s the one who creates magical girls. Later in the barrier a text from Faust, where the main character says that nothing he’s done “brought him happiness”, in other words he’s “falling into despair.”))

Mami says that witches hang around places like car crashes ((give Mami several hugs)), the red light district ((Good Lord)), areas where people go to kill themselves, and hospitals ((Sayaka’s internal monologue: Kill Bill sirens ))

((So despair heavy places= witch…got it))

The group head over to an abandoned building, and Mami saves a woman who tried to kill herself as a result of getting a witch’s kiss.

((I like how they show us what a magical girl transformation looks from the outside, just a flash of light and BAM your clothes change.))  
Mami finds the witch’s barrier and she enchanted Sayaka bat to help her fight off familiars by…making it pretty, I guess. Homura follows them, but doesn’t enter the barrier.

The witch’s labyrinth is more elaborate than it was last episode, but Mami’s able to fight off familiars easily. Sayaka’s bat is working just as well as you’d expect.  
((Mami even throws down the gun she used, I know she only uses the kind that shoot one or two bullets at a time, but imagine her and Homura starting a contest over who can use the most weapons.))  
Madoka looks at Mami beating up witch familiars and notices how beautiful and graceful she is while fighting.  
Madoka: I’m scared but…  
((Good thing Homura’s not there, they even added the shoujo slow motion.))

They make it to the center of the labyrinth, and “Magia” starts playing.  
((The only other time this song plays through the series is during Homura’s fight against Walpurgisnacht and becomes the ending theme when the series takes a dark and edgy turn. This foreshadows Mami’s declaration, in the next episode, of how she really feels about being a magical girl.))

Madoka: That’s awful, are you really going to fight it  
Mami: It’s all right I could never lose  
((When you play the games of Madokaland, you either win or you die))

Mami lifts her skirt or produce a pair of guns, and her hat to create two-dozen guns,  
((me as a magical girl))  
Unfortunately, she’s grabbed in one of their tentacle… things.  
((I really like this fight scene because it shows that in battle, even if you win it can be pretty easy to be caught off guard))  
Mami: I’m ok. I can’t let myself look uncool in front of my magical girl trainees. Let’s wrap this up  
Mami: Tiro Finale!!  
She proceeds to defeat the witch like a badass, then creates a cup of tea out of nowhere, because she’s a lady go*d*mn it.

Once the witch is defeated Mami and Satan discuss the topic of grief seeds, and say that their magic is able to help make their soul gems stronger.  
((How convenient))  
Mami throws the grief seed to Homura, and they have their own mini stare down.

Mami: Maybe you’re not the sharing with others type  
Homura: It was your kill, so keep the reward for yourself.  
Mami: If that’s what you want so be it

((So Homura, who knows about the secret of soul gems, and what the grief seed’s aid is really for, is happy to let Mami keep it for one more use. This ties in to another one of the show’s themes of being outwardly selfless but secretly selfish. Homura, I think, is operating from both ends of the spectrum, in this case acting like a jerk to Mami and returning the seed but, from Homura’s point of view, she’s helping her more in the long run by not playing nice and sharing it.))

Madoka: Why can’t we be friends with [Homura]  
Mami: She has to want to be friends first  
((Mami’s got a point, I mean Homura does seem pretty callous))

They return back outside the building so Mami can calm down the woman from earlier.  
Mami: It’s fine, you were having a nightmare, that’s all.  
((Yeah… let’s go with that))

The episode ends with Madoka still not knowing what to wish for, but watching Mami trying hard to save people, and looking amazing while doing it ((Her words not mine)), makes her want to become a magical girl even more.  
((She even colors in her picture from earlier, so cute))

((*Looks at Satan on Madoka’s bed* is there an invention where I can go inside the screen and drop kick him out her window?))

Since this is the last time the song “See you Tomorrow” is used in the closing credits I thought I’d look up the translation since it’s also meant to be Madoka’s character song.

“Saying, "See you later," I wave my hand  
Forcing myself to smile, yet I'm feeling lonely...  
At the intersection, there are traffic lights, cars honking far awayand the sound of strangers laughing together  
Today, I walk alone, even if I'm used to going through this city  
Somehow, for a moment  
I feel like I'm tiny more than I usually do  
Saying, "See you later," I wave my hand  
Cracking a smile, yet I'm feeling lonely  
The truth is, I still have more to talk about  
But with the words "See you later"  
I say we'll meet again, but it's a lie  
and with my usual smile, I say  
"See you tomorrow"”

(( Judging by the lyrics I think Madoka’s been dealing with either depression or loneliness for a long time))

Madoka Magica Talley Total: ((From here on out this is for the entire series))

Times I cried: ½ ((I teared up during the rooftop scene))  
Homura uses her weapons: zero  
Sayaka says “for realz:” 2  
Amount of guns Mami uses: 75  
Times I wanted to kill Satan (Creepward) (Kyubey): 7


	3. Moving Ahead

Here we go ((gets Kyubey shaped punching bag))

 

We begin the episode in the world’s largest hospital room.

((I know Violin boy’s family is loaded but come on!))

 

Sayaka nervously walks into the room to visit him, and she brings him the gifts from episode 1. Violin boy says that she is an expert in finding rare C.D’s indicating she’s been buying him stuff for quite some time, and she downplays her actions by saying she’s “just lucky”.

(( Honey, you’ve got it bad.))

 

Violin Boy offers to listen to music with her.

 

V.B: I wish I could hook it up to a speaker…nurses would kill me though

 

((Boy, you are in a single room the size of size of a **penthouse** , I seriously doubt that))

We get a flashback to him playing the violin (hence his nickname) and a mesmerized Sayaka sitting in the audience. When we cut back to the present day we see him crying.

 

((It’s clear that Sayaka has been crushing on him for years, and her crush has only gotten stronger as the years went by. We also see an innocently insensitive moment from Sayaka. From an outside perspective, giving Violin boy C.D’s with violin music seems to be a good idea. After all the fact that he plays the violin is 3/4th of his characterization. However, his injury means that he can no longer play the very music she’s giving him, something he points out in the next episode.))

Credits!!

 

The girls are out witch-hunting and neither of the trainees is taking it seriously. The witch turns out to be a familiar that branched off from its previous witch.

Sayaka: It seems a shame to have to fight it and not get anything.

Mami: We can’t let familiars do what they want, if we did they’d become the same as the witches we’re fighting.

((One of the show’s topics is the idea of getting what you’ve earned. Sayaka wants the reward in addition to the work, which is natural since fighting witches is a dangerous task. However once Mami points out the dangers of letting a familiar go, Sayaka is more than willing to fight the familiars to save more people. This contrasts with the views of a later character…))

The duo tells Mami they have no idea what to wish for, so for inspiration Madoka asks Mami what she wished for. Mami stops dead in her tracks, and decides to tell the girls what she wished for. Apparently before the series events, Mami’s family got in a car crash. When Mam’s life was on its last thread Satan (Kyubey) shows up, and with one look into his soulless eyes she made her wish to become a magical girl. She says she doesn’t have regrets since she’s still alive. However she wants Madoka and Sayaka to have a long time to decide what their wish is since it wasn’t an option for her.

 

((So we’ve already established that Satan stalks his magical girl candidates for God knows how long, and ,after this scene, Satan’s earlier comment about how most girls he contacts “accept his offer right away” comes across as mighty suspicious. We can assume from the show that Mami’s wish would prolong her life, emphasis on **her life** since both her parents died in the crash. This is an indicator of the show’s topic of “all wishes are selfish.” Mami’s selfish wish was understandable since she was about to die, and at that point her only thought was self-preservation.))

 

Sayaka asks if her wish can be for someone else, clearly talking about Violin Boy, and Satan, who is paying attention carefully to the conversation, says of course you can.

((*Flips off computer screen*))

Mami says that “no that’s a horrible idea, you need to make sure the wish is exactly what you want and know why you’re doing it.”

((*hugs screen* Oh Mami, you are so underrated))

Mami: The motive behind a wish matters the most…you know

*Close up on the lower half of her mournful face*

 

((Something tells me that afterward Mami asked Satan “Could you have saved my parents?” and he responded in his ever-chipper voice and plastered-on smile “Of course I could have, all you had to do was ask.”))

 

Mami: If you’re not sure why [you made your wish] you’ll definitely regret it.

 

Sayaka looks upset, and says that she thinks Mami’s right.

 

Satan: As far as I’m concerned, the sooner you decide the better.

 

((Satan’s made it clear that he wants these girls to make contracts with him, and the above quote indicates he doesn’t care how or why they make the contract. Up until this point he’s been relatively benign about it, sans stalking. However in addition to the wham moment of the episode, this episode marks a turn in his behavior… more later in the review))

Mami: Oh please…girls don’t like pushy boys

 

((In an earlier chapter, I say one of the themes in the show is “Can you make a choice if someone is swaying you to a particular outcome?” In other words can you consent to their offer. Mami compares Satan to a “pushy boy,” which has a romantic connotation to it. In many romantic comedies the plot goes as follows “Boy meets girl, boy pursues girl, girl says she’s not interested, boy does x number of increasingly elaborate acts to get girl to say yes, girl finally says yes, and ‘both’ live happily ever after.” The plot of those movies while the male hero never outright forces the girl to date him, he definitely gives a large amount of arm-twisting to give him what he wants. Sound familiar??))

*Back home with Madoka*

 

Madoka: Deciding what to wish for is harder than I thought

Satan: Even though I really want you to, I can’t rush you. Suggesting a wish is also against the rules.

((Satan sounds annoyed when he says this, and this attitude he has is prevalent in our own world. His comment indicates that the only thing preventing him from outright force is the specific rules that are in place. The romantic comedy plot I listed in the above paragraph is rarely labeled as harassment because the specific norms or ‘rules’ in our society state that woman in the story is “playing hard to get” because of whatever reason, and because of that the hero’s “persistence” is not considered wrong because “ she really wants it.”))

 

Madoka: Would wishing to become a magical girl be a bad thing?

Satan: Madoka, Are you just looking to become powerful?

((As much as I hate to say it, Satan has a point. Madoka doesn’t want to really become a magical girl. She wants to help people and the only way to do that, in her eyes, is to gain special powers.))

 

Madoka:…I’m not very smart and I don’t have any talents, but if I can become a person who is as wonderful and cool as Mami is then that would make me happy

Satan: If you became a magical girl, there’s no doubt you’d become much more powerful than Mami. ...There’s no telling how big your soul gem could be. I’ve never met a girl with the enormous potential you have.

(( I’ve heard people compare Satan to an abuser, and that makes sense after all the early stages of an abusive relationship often follow

  1. targeting the victim- sighting those with low self confidence, and desire emotional validation
  2. gaining the victim’s trust- gathering information on the victim while gaining warmth and affection
  3. filling a need- often showering compliments “ You’re so special” “You’re so talented” etc.))



 

Madoka: You must be joking

Satan: (annoyed) No

((For a species that supposedly has no emotion, Satan is surprisingly emotive.

 

Madoka’s father calls her downstairs to help put her, astoundingly drunk, mom to bed. Afterward they bond over some hot chocolate. They have a conversation about her mom, and how even though she didn’t imagine that’s how her job should be, she’s happy because of how she lives her life. Madoka wordlessly decides to give that some thought.

 

(( So what you want to happen in your life isn’t necessarily what you wish for… Can Madoka’s father have a talk with Sayaka.))

 

((BTW Thank you Mr. Kaname for your one-minute of screen time in the entire series))

In the next scene, Mami and Homura have a stare down alone in the middle of the night.

 

Homura appears out of nowhere, hinting to the true nature of her powers, and asks Mami if

she cares if she’s leading Sayaka and Madoka into danger. Mami retorts that “Kyubey chose them” so “they’re a part of this now”

 

((I know that Mami and Homura are the only two magical girls we’ve seen interacting so far, but they’re interactions suggest more than just regular competition. The timelines that Homura create don’t start on her first day of class but sometime before. I think that shortly before the events of the series, Homura tried talking to Mami about Satan and gave her some episode 6 information about her soul gem. Mami doesn’t want to believe her, and her desire for new magical girl friends, compounded with Homura’s usual stern personality lead to tensions being escalated further.))

 

Homura says she doesn’t want Mami to steer the two to become magical girls, especially since Madoka is involved.

 

(( During their conversation, animation of flies near a lamp appears. You know what they say, “A moth to a flame burned by desire”))

 

Mami: I see you’ve noticed it too, have you

((Homura: *internally* her pretty eyes and beautiful smile))

 

Mami: Her incredible potential

((Homura: *internally* …that too))

 

Homura: I won’t allow it, She won’t become like us

((I don’t want her to get hurt))

 

Mami: Afraid of a little competition, that kind of thinking is for losers

((Bring it on bi*ch))

 

Homura: I don’t want to fight but you leave me no choice

((*grabs popcorn*))

 

Mami:Then just make sure we never see each other. We’re through talking tonight.

((*sadly puts popcorn away*))

 

((Homura seems pretty upset with this turn of events. I think she was trying to get Mami to stop her from helping Satan give them contracts, but once Mami brought up Madoka’s “potential” a word that we’ve only heard Satan say so far, Homura was done with reason, leaving her with another timeline full of regret.))

 

We join the girls at the hospital/hotel, where Sayaka unsuccessfully tries to visit Violin boy.

 

Sayaka: And I came all this way talk about rude

((Sayaka’s taking Violin Boy’s rejection harshly.))

When the girls go back outside they see a grief seed about to hatch at the hospital. Sayaka takes charge, mostly because she’s worried about Violin Boy, saying she’ll keep an eye on the grief seed while Madoka gets Mami. Satan stays with Sayaka so Mami can track both of them.

((Ok, This is where the show starts to take a turn and in order to properly reflect this… from now on I’m only referring to Kyubey by his own name instead of Satan. Shocking I know.))

 

((So… Kyubey killed Mami. He may have not have pulled the trigger, but he placed a loaded gun in the room. Remember earlier in the episode when Sayaka was talking about her hospital-ridden crush and the animation had a close up on Kyubey’s face, paying careful attention to how much he meant to her. When the girls are outside when get a close up of Kyubey then a look at the grief seed, showing there’s connection to the two. Kyubey has been shown to get impatient so he orchestrated a situation where Mami would be in danger, but not necessarily death, so the girls would be forced to make a wish, and thus become magical girls. This type of tactic called negative surprise is a VERY common tactic where the manipulator makes sure there is little time for their targets to prepare for their counter move, thus giving them an extra dose of regret with their wish. Mami’s death was nothing more than a slight miscalculation on Kyubey’s part, but one that he’ll never show any regret or remorse .))

 

There’s a flash from the grief seed and Kyubey and Sayaka are making their way to where the witch formed.

((Since Kyubey has telepathy and a greater knowledge of witches in general, he has a home court advantage over Sayaka in this situation. Something tells me he didn’t come up with staying with her for purely altruistic reasons))

 

Kyubey: You seem scared. All you have to do is make a wish, and you’ll become a magical girl.

 

((Why am I not surprised? Damn Kyubey can you wait 5 minutes before you go used car salesman on her.))

 

Sayaka refused, stating she wants to be sure she does the right thing

 

((After all we still have 9 episodes left, we need to stretch out the conflict))

 

Mami and Madoka appear back at the hospital, and enter the witch’s labyrinth. The girls encounter Homura, who seems adamant about her fighting the witch as opposed to Mami. Homura offers to help Sayaka and Kyubey, but Mami is understandably untrustworthy, tying Homura up ( in her ribbons), and leaving her there until she gets back.

 

Homura: *in the most passionate voice she’s spoken in so far* No, Don’t!

 

Unfortunately, being tied up leaves her powerless, and she’s forced to watch her and Madoka walk off to face the witch.

((I love this scene because I’ve seen other fans argue that the only person Homura cares about is Madoka, and this scene shows that while helping Madoka Kaname is Homura’s number one goal that doesn’t mean that she won’t do what she can to help the other girls survive the timelines too.))

 

Madoka and Mami continue walking, and Madoka brings up what she wants to wish for. Madoka seems to think what she wants is naive even though Mami genuinely wants to know what Madoka wants to wish for. Madoka says she’s never been anything special about her, isn’t talented, and believes that she’s useless at helping others. She hates how she perceives herself, but when she met Mami, Madoka was inspired to help others the way she does every day. Madoka says that helping Mami with magical girl activities was the happiest she’s been in her life, and her wish is to become a magical girl so she can be happy with her life.

((I’ve theorized in an earlier chapter that Madoka is dealing with depression, and her wish and reasoning behind it is all I need to support that theory. When you’re depressed, it can be pretty easy to feel as though you’re a burden to everyone around you, and if everyone around you says otherwise your first instinct is to think “they’re probably lying.” Madoka, being the kind-hearted girl she is, believes that helping other people and being useful are interconnected with a happy life.))

 

Mami seems to be reluctant to accept her reasoning.

 

Mami: It won’t be easy, you won’t have time for school, family, and fun with friends, or dates.

Madoka tells her she knows the risks she’s taking, and that she admires her.

 

Mami: I don't deserve it. You need a better role model. I just pretend to be cool. When I’m scared or hurt there’s no one to talk to. All I can do is cry on my own. It's not fun being a Magical girl.

 

((This topic has been brought up before in other Magical Girl stories, and most of those stories tend to have the same idea. When you choose to become a hero, there are consequences, and it’s not all fun and games, and you might end up sacrificing more than you gain. Unfortunately Mami is one of the darker examples of that story line. She really doesn’t have any friends to confide to in Madokaland, and the only thing that stays with her for an extended period of time is Kyubey, who cares about her as a magical girl as opposed to as a person. Lord knows looking at his creepy face day in and day out would wear someone down. ))

 

Madoka assures Mami that she’s not alone, and Mami is overjoyed about how she’ll have a friend to fight by her side. The girls hold hands under the firefly lights and …pill snowfall?... and Madoka assures Mami that she’ll stay with her. The girls talk about what Madoka should really wish for, since wishes are a once in a lifetime opportunity. Madoka refuses the wishes to become a billionaire, or get a boyfriend ((Tee hee)), Mami jokes that when she finishes off witch Madoka can get a nice cake out of Magical Girldom.

 

((So Mami is now more focused on the party and having fun with the girls afterward as opposed to getting the girls out of the witch alive.))

 

Kyubey interrupts the girls’ heart-warming moment ((A perfect summary of his character)) and Mami transforms and prepares to fight the witch quickly.

 

Mami summons dozens of guns from her boobs, and fights off some familiars who were kind enough to have bull’s eyes on them.

 

Mami: *internally* I feel so light, this is the happiest I’ve ever felt during a battle. I’m not afraid of anything anymore. *Looks at Madoka’s happy face and grabs her hand* Because I’m not alone anymore.

The two run toward the witch’s center, happily holding hands the entire way.

 

((Really show, you make me ship them NOW!))

 

The witch, Charlotte, finally hatches, and is surprisingly adorable for an eldritch abomination. Mami begins fighting her, and at first it seems like a curb stomp battle in Mami’s favor, and cockily hits the witch with her finishing move. Then the witch reveals her ultimate form and… HOLY SH*T eats her head off.

 

Homura: *looking at the ribbons resembling blood and visibly worried* OH NO!

 

Kyubey: Hurry! Make a contract with me before it’s too late! Madoka! Sayaka!

 

((Another common manipulation tactic is simply giving the targets no time to decide, while hoping they’ll crack under the aggressive demands.))

 

The witch looks at the two girls and Kyubey’s plan is about to succeed until Homura, now free from Mami’s ribbons due to…….. unexpected events, starts to kick some witch ass.

 

((Mami’s death showed that this show isn’t for small children. She didn’t seemingly die from the big bad only to appear at the end alive, she died at the hands of a seemingly harmless monster. Homura’s easy defeat shows that Charlotte wasn’t some unusually powerful witch that is capable of killing all magical girls. Rather it drives home the point that one bad day in the life of a superhero can lead to your death.))

 

 

Homura: Never forget what happened here, this is what it means to be a magical girl.

 

((As she says this there is a close up on the witch’s grief seed))

 

 

The witch evaporates, and Mami’s body is now gone forever leading the area around the hospital look unchanged, except for the distraught Madoka and Sayaka. Homura picks up the grief seed and…

 

Sayaka: *angry and upset * Give it back. It’s hers. It’s Mami’s. It belongs to her!

Homura: You’re right, but this can only belong to a magical girl. Therefore neither of you has any right to touch it.

(( Grief seeds are used to purify the soul gem, so Homura, though pointlessly cruel about it, is right in that she needs it more than either of the two girls do. Unfortunately her choice of wording combined with Sayaka’s initial impression of Homura, in addition to how she just managed to conveniently show up just seconds after Mami’s death, gives Sayaka the idea that Homura purposely waited for Mami to die, putting the nail in the proverbial coffin. Anything Homura does to help is now going in one ear and out the other.))

 

The girls are left alone, both of them grieving the loss of their new friend, and helpless to what they’ll do with the knowledge of witches.

 

((What Mami wanted more than anything was to not end up alone. Unfortunately, she was so focused on her friends she was distracted during the witch fight. Mami died knowing she wasn’t alone and her death left them alone and nearly got them killed.))

 

End Credits

 

((We see Madoka walking past Sayaka, Kyoko, Mami, and Homura. The latter two stuck out the most with Mami on the ground indicating her fallen status, and Homura who is the only one to turn around to look at and reach out to Madoka.))

 

 

 

 

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

 

Times I cried: 2 ½

Number of weapons Homura uses: 15

Amount of guns Mami uses: 101

Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave comments, kudos, soul, whatever.


	4. The Mourning after

The episode begins with Sayaka running to Violin boy’s hospital room, but when she opens the door he isn’t there. Sayaka is unable to see him because of physical therapy. Some background nurses give us background information about V.B’s condition, blah blah accident… blah blah can no longer play the violin.  
((Everyone got that?))  
Sayaka contemplates in the elevator why V.B. had to be injured, saying that her hands can’t do anything special. She asks herself what she hopes to gain from making a wish for him to get better and what his reaction would be.  
Sayaka: What am I thinking, I’m horrible.  
((gives her a hug))

((I mentioned in an earlier chapter how Sayaka suffers from the plot’s structure, with the show focusing on action as opposed to characterization. It would be easy to dismiss Sayaka’s thoughts and actions entirely related to Violin boy. However, Sayaka’s motivation for her wish is not just “I want him to like me,” she like Madoka believes that she isn’t special, that she’s untalented and pales in comparison to someone like, say, Seaweed hair, a rich, multitalented, beautiful girl with boys flocking to her. Whereas Madoka wants to use those feelings as a channel to help everyone, Sayaka will use those as feelings as a way to help her childhood friend and cruah.))

Sayaka: I really didn’t understand anything back then  
((Back then?…You’ve only known about witches for a few days))  
Sayaka: What it meant to pray for a miracle or ask for one

 

((While Mami’s death leaves a huge impact on the girls through the rest of the series, this episode deals with the immediate aftermath of a traumatic situation and how the girls will react to Kyubey’s offer now that they know some of the consequences of being a magical girl.))

Credits!!

We join the Kaname household for breakfast, but poor Madoka is having flashbacks of Mami and her gruesome death. She starts crying over her eggs and toast.

((Madoka hates herself through the episode because she can’t understand why a normal girl like herself gets to be with her family, go to school, and have fun with friends while someone as “brave and kind” like Mami spent so long suffering and her only reward was getting her head bit off.))

Dad: What’s wrong, don’t you like your breakfast?  
((Your daughter is crying and your first thought is that she doesn’t like her breakfast…parent of the year folks.))

Madoka: *trying not to cry* Yeah it tastes so good…really good… I’m alive and you’re cooking… it tastes so good dad.

Madoka walks with her friends to school, and while Madoka is still in a haze Sayaka tries having a regular conversation with seaweed hair. 

((The two girls reactions are reflective of their personalities. Madoka wears her heart on her sleeve, while Sayaka will tend to cover up her feelings until they spill over.))

School is rough for both girls, Madoka gives a little sigh in class, and Homura notices it with a sad look on her face. 

Back on the roof, the girls talk about how different the world feels after knowing about the world of magical girls and witches.   
((Trauma is a difficult thing to portray in media without it becoming melodramatic. The show pulls off the girls’ grief well with their feelings about how even though everything is the same, their experiences dealing with how difficult the world is makes them feel like they’re in an alternate universe. With trauma, you can never go back to the person you were before the event, or events, occurred and the most common feeling is that those who weren’t there, while they could sympathize, they could never truly understand how terrible those events actually were. Sayaka seems to subtlety blame herself in part because she says they should have realized how different things would be when they found out about witches in the first episode. ))  
Sayaka: Do you [Madoka] still want to be a magical girl?

*Camera cuts to Kyubey*

Sayaka: (gently) Yeah, I thought so. I understand.

Madoka is terrified at the idea of becoming a magical girl, and for a very good reason. She saw someone who she started growing close to die in a gruesome manner, and she doesn’t want the same fate Mami had,   
((What makes this so heartbreaking is that Madoka’s reaction is incredibly realistic. Let’s be real here, most of us would run away crapping our pants after watching someone get decapitated, but at the same time Madoka hates herself for wanting to avoid fighting.))

 

Sayaka: Mami really was the nicest person, but in order for us to understand what it takes, the kind of courage it takes to fight… she had to…  
Sayaka asks what will happen now that Mami is dead, and Kyubey says that other girls will come in and fight, but says that more than likely they will fight just for grief seeds.

Kyubey: You don’t have the right to judge their actions; only magical girls have that right, they share the same destiny after all.  
((God a sledgehammer is subtler than this guy))  
Kyubey says he’ll leave the girls alone ((eye roll)) to find different girls in need of a contract  
Kyubey: We weren’t together for very long, but it was fun. Thank you Madoka.

((Ok, first of all Mami died the day before, so you can’t really call your time “fun”))

((2nd of all, Kyubey is giving himself away in that sentence. He doesn’t really say goodbye to Sayaka, indicating that 1. He’ll try to contact her again and 2. He only thought about his time with Madoka, showing where his true priorities lie.))

Madoka: I’m sorry

Madoka heads over to Mami’s old apartment and stands alone looking around at everything realizing that Mami will never live there anymore everything she owned will be thrown away, getting rid of all evidence she existed. All she can do is break down and cry berating herself for being weak.

((One detail I love is the inclusion of some girls walking outside the apartment at the beginning of the scene. It shows how despite all the drama going on in Madokaland there are still people having fun and carrying on, and even though Mami was important to the main characters, the majority of those outside the group will never have any knowledge of her existence.))

Madoka goes outside, and Homura is outside waiting to talk to her.

((Deleted scene: Homura stopping time to primp her hair and wondering if she should have changed into cute casual clothes but deciding against it because “it would just make me look desperate”))

Homura: You shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened, it couldn’t be helped. No one can criticize you for anything. I mean that, no one. I won’t allow it.

((Translation: What has Kyubey been saying since Mami’s death, if he said one negative thing about you I’ll blow his f*cking face off))

Homura: Have you accepted my warning?  
Madoka: uh huh 

((I think this is the point where Madoka goes from thinking, “Is Homura a bad person?” to “no, she’s not a bad person,” because before Mami’s death the only information Madoka had was “Homura doesn’t want you to become a magical girl because of the competition.” Now with Mami dead Homura’s comment of how “ if you change, you’ll loose everything” is starting to sound more like a warning rather than a threat.))

Madoka expresses regret over how she didn’t listen to Homura. Homura tries comforting her by saying there was nothing Madoka could have done to change Mami’s fate.  
((Emphasis on tries))

Homura: At least I was able to change yours though…I’m glad about that. 

((Anytime Homura downplays her devotion to Madoka, is when she displays her finest acting. At this point the only thing keeping her from loosing it completely is that this might be the timeline she succeed. All the while, all Madoka hears is saving her, as in save one person in general.))

Madoka tries to bond with Homura by asking about her life as a magical girl, and how many terrible things have happened as a result.

Madoka: *sadly* you’ve seen lots of people die horribly haven’t you.  
Homura: I have  
Madoka: How many?  
Homura: I gave up counting long ago

((…Y’all I am not looking forward to episode 10))

Homura tells Madoka that Mami will eventually be reported as a missing person, but eventually since she had no family and few friends she’ll eventually be forgotten about, a fate that all magical girls who die in battle will face. This of course, horrifies Madoka.

Homura: We’re not protectors, we fight for the sake of our wishes, and this is how we pay for them. If we die and no one remembers us I guess that’s just the way it is.

((Homura is in this line projecting her own experiences and applying them to all magical girls. In this case though she is absolutely right. With the formula of wish = fight it’s likely that most are fighting solely so they can get their wish, and if they truly get what they want the most common consequence of getting that wish is dying in battle. If they don’t get that wish…))

Madoka vows to never forget either Mami for the time they spent together or Homura for saving her and Sayaka in the previous episode. Homura warns MAdoka that her kindness can lead to greater tragedy.  
((Homura’s expression says “this is only one timeline of many, she won’t have any memory in the next timeline”))

Cut to the next scene where Sayaka is visiting Violin Boy in the hospital.  
((*Glares at screen* I know it’s not his fault, but still.))

The two have awkward small talk revolved around classical music. Sayaka is clearly grateful for him getting her interested in the music.

V.B: Hey, Sayaka. Stop torturing me already…Do you think I like listening to this music it’s like you’re trying to hurt me.

((Sayaka knows how badly hurt Violin Boy is, and she’s trying to make him feel better by letting him know how important he is to her. This is also the same reason why she keeps bringing violin music, because Sayaka knows how important the violin is to him. Unfortunately the choice of wording, in addition to the gifts she brings, only serve as a reminder of what he no longer can do.))

Violin boy gets so frustrated that he breaks his C.D player with his no longer useful hand, and Sayaka rushes to grab him and tries to stop him from hurting himself further.   
V.B.: I can’t even feel the pain anymore   
((So V.B. had something terrible happen and now can no longer feel the pain physically or emotionally…keep this in mind for episode 7.))

Sayaka: Don’t give up hope they’ll figure something out   
V.B: …They said there’ nothing current medicine can do to help anymore. My hand is never going to move right again, unless magic and miracles suddenly become real.

((…I know it’s not his fault…. BUT STILL))

Sayaka: But they are. Magic and miracles they are real.

((…I know it’s not his fault…))

Kyubey shows up in the hospital window

((GOD**MMIT)) 

*…Deep breath…* Anyway, in the next scene Madoka wonders why Homura and Mami couldn’t get along since it seemed easy for Homura to be friends with Madoka.  
((*Tee hee*))

((…What, after that last scene I needed some ship bait.))

Madoka spots seaweed hair who *Gasp* received a witch’s kiss, and not in a Les Yay way. Madoka tries to reason with her, which is impossible since seaweed’s as high as a kite. Madoka follows Seaweed to the cult of witch’s kisses, which, aside from a great band name, is a gathering spot where all hell breaks loose. 

So now Madoka is alone in a cult gathering, and can’t call Homura for help because she doesn’t have Homura’s cell.  
((Homura has pretty good self-control guys.))

We see the group making a chemical mixture, which Madoka remembers is fatal combination.  
((We see a more in-depth viewing of how a witch causes chaos. The witch’s kiss offers either a build up of insecurities one previously had, or gives off a brainwashing effect that makes the dangerous things they’re influenced to do seem like a good idea, hence the cult metaphor. In fact what’s truly horrifying about this scene is how aside from the witch’s influence the mode of death seems fairly mundane, with the simple act of using house chemicals killing dozens of people.))

Madoka immediately rushes over to the bucket, but is stopped by seaweed hair.  
Madoka: Those chemicals are dangerous we could die.  
((Go Madoka))

S.H: Yes and we’re all going to go on a wonderful journey to an amazing new world.  
((oooookkkkkkk))  
S.H.: Don’t you see what an amazing opportunity this is?  
((Not really))

S.H: We can get rid of these bodies that hold us back

((So the witch is telling them that their bodies are just “useless baggage,” something tells me that Sayaka’s experiences with Kyubey are a very common one.))

S.H.: Oh, Madoka. In a little while you’ll understand  
((Can someone please get this girl away from the Kool Aid!))

Madoka rushes past a group of zombified cult members, and throws the chemicals through a window.  
((This is an understated moment of badassery in the series. Madoka is terrified, almost as terrified as when dealing with witches. Yet, she is able to face those fears and save seaweed and dozens of other people, thus giving a hint at Madoka’s courage.))

Madoka locks herself in a storage closet to prevent the mob of angry cult members from hurting her, except ((DUN DUN DUN)) she’s pulled apart and reconstructed into the witch’s barrier. 

The witch plays memories of Mami up till and including her death, in order to convince Madoka to give up as she sends her familiars to stretch her apart.

Madoka: I wonder if this is my punishment for being a coward and a liar. I guess this is what I deserve. 

((The coward part I immediately understood what Madoka meant. Much of the series is Madoka being scared out of her mind when she faces danger, and she’s built up a complex revolving around that, especially since she considers magical girls “brave” for fighting the world’s dangers. The liar part took me some time to figure out. My interpretation is that she’s going back to when she told Mami that that she wanted more than anything was to become a magical girl and was willing to die if she got that wish. Now, actually seeing Mami die fighting put a damper on the “magical girl” sale, and her understandable fear of facing those consequences has twisted in her mind as her “lying to Mami”.))

Luckily Sayaka shows up and easily defeats the witch, and s the group of people inflicted by the witch are now relatively unharmed.

((In the series, it’s implied that Sayaka is one of the weaker magical girls, hinted by the fact that she summons swords a weapon she can only use one at a time, which foreshadows the question, “If this is the damage that a weak witch can inflict, then what damage can a powerful one do?” something we’ll see with walpurgisnaucht and gretchen))

Cut to Homura  
((Now you show up!?))

Sayaka: Sorry I’m late. Guess I cut it a little too close didn’t I?

((On a side note Sayaka’s magical girl outfit is adorable and... relatively short, which makes since considering her wish was partly influenced by her crush.))

Sayaka tells Madoka that she changed her mind and became a magical girl, which scares Madoka since she saw Mami die the day before.

((Seriously this episode takes place over the course of a single day))

Sayaka begins attempting to reassure Madoka,but is interrupted by Homura, who is pissed off by this latest turn of events.

Homura: How could you?  
Sayaka: You’re late Transfer Student.  
((translation:   
Homura: How dare you not listen to my rational well-explained reasons for staying out of the way.  
Sayaka: Fight me, I’m doing great.))

So now Violin boy is cured, and there aren’t any unforeseen consequences to this.

In the end we meet a new character, Kyoko Sakura, who we first see eating some kind of snack.  
((Kyoko, my lady, my pal. Things are going to get interesting))

Kyubey begins talking to Kyoko, who appeared because Mami’s death left an opening for grief seed collecting. 

Kyoko: This aint anytjing like [Kyubey] said.  
((Rolls eyes so far back I see my brain))

Kyubey tells Kyoko about Sayaka making a contract with him and she vows to take out ((*sigh* attack)) Sayaka.

((Call me scared and happy))  
((Kyoko’s introduction in this episode is an interesting turning point. Up until this point the greyest character, that we know so far, is Homura. However despite her shady actions it’s made clear that Homura is fighting in Madoka’s, and occasionally Sayaka’s, interest. Kyoko on the other hand, is at this point in the series concerned with herself. It’s fitting that her introduction helps with the transition from a black and white morality to a grey and gray morality.))

((Side note: apparently Kyoko and Kyosuke (Violin boy’s real name) are masculine/feminine versions of the same name ex. George and Georgina. This is a little fact that will be touched on in latter episodes.))

 

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total: 

Times I cried: 3 ½   
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please feel free to leave comments, kudos, and whatever you like.


	5. New Girl in Town

((This episode is one of the show’s lighter and softer episodes, which says a lot about this show))

 

We begin in a flashback to Sayaka making her contract with Kyubey.

 

((The music that’s used in this scene is the same ominous tune used when we learn both of the awful truths related to being a Madokaland magical girl., which makes since considering Kyubey’s presence is the definition of dread))

 

Sayaka: You sure you can grant any wish, for real.

((I’m counting this for the for realz pile))

 

Kyubey: You don’t have to worry, I can grant yours without any problem

 

((Ok, wow this is disgusting!! Kyubey has already proven he won’t take no for an answer and in addition does not respect any boundaries or even basic decency, and with those parallels already established, I’m waiting for him to say “Just lie back honey it’ll be over before you know it”.))

 

Kyubey sticks his ears into her body and Sayaka starts moaning and screaming in pain.

((Oh God that is not helping!!))

 

Kyubey: *handing Sayaka her soul gem* Accept it. This is your destiny

 

((For the love of God go to the next scene!))

 

Credits

 

((Thank you!))

 

Back in school Seaweed hair tells the girls about her exciting night of talking to the police and going to the hospital.

((Say what you want about Madoka Magica, it gives details of what being attacked by the monster of the week would be like in a world where such occurances are relatively common.))

S.H: The doctors said we suffered from a mass hallucination.

((Mass hallucination or in the common vernacular “ we have no idea what just happened so f$%k it we’ll just make something up”))

 

S.H is upset she has to go to the hospital for more tests, Sayaka is happy everyone’s ok and she’s the one who saved everyone, Homura is pi&%ed off, and Madoka is worried about both her friends, mostly Sayaka though.

 

Madoaka and Sayaka are now talking alone among a hundred wind machines. Madoka is worried about Sayaka making a contract since Mami died literally two days ago. Sayaka says she is happy about her new magical girl arrangement and admits that she’s more scared about loosing Madoka or Seaweed hair than she is about her own life.

 

((Sayaka claims that this is because the witch she fought was easy to defeat, but she was there along with Madoka when Mami fought the witch that seemed easy to defeat…until it wasn’t. I think this reflects how Sayaka is the most reckless of the cast, and her desire to help others and foreshadows her being willing to sacrifice herself due to her low self worth.))

 

Sayaka says that she’s excited about the job and feels confident and excited, promising to protect Madokaland from witches. Her biggest regret is not making her wish sooner, because then she’d have been able to protect Mami.

 

((Out of all the magical girls on the show Sayaka is the only one to directly say that becoming a magical girl made her more confident, including Madoka , which speaks a lot about how she was before she made her wish.))

 

Sayaka notices Madoka feeling guilty over not making a contract. Sayaka says that the reason she made her contract was she knew what she wanted, and realized how much it meant to her, and risking her life is a consequence she’s willing to take.

 

((It’s really eerie how casually she says this.))

 

She also assures Madoka that it’s ok she doesn’t want to be a magical girl and that she shouldn’t feel guilty just because she wasn’t meant for the job. Madoka looks sad when she says this

 

(( Sayaka is telling Madoka that most people would be in her shoes when faced with whether or not to make a contract, but unfortunately due to her low opinion of herself all Madoka’s hearing is that she’s useless.))

 

Sayaka visits Violin boy in the hospital and he still needs some tests done on his hands and needs to receive physical therapy. He says that he’s feeling a lot better and that what happened was truly a miracle.

 

((There are more chairs in the hospital than there were in the previous scenes because they’re meant to symbolize the different timelines that while the differences pile up in the long run, they are not supposed to be seen by the characters themselves. I am of course completely bull$%iting this, but I can’t think of any other reason why there are about 90,000 chairs in this anime.))

 

Violin boy apologizes to Sayaka for the things he said the day before, and Sayaka accepts his apology then brings him to the roof for an impromptu performance.

((The bloopers said it best:

Violin boy: Why are you taking me up to the roof

Sayaka: paraplegic base jumping))

 

Violin boy start playing, you guessed it, the violin and then we get some internal thoughts from Sayaka.

 

((Ok we can just end the show right now guys))

 

Sayaka: Hey Mami, see that my wish has been granted.

((I mean it guys, end the show right now))

 

Sayaka: There’s no way I’ll ever regret it.

 

((Uhh Guys??? Please? Guys… I’m not going to cry))

 

Sayaka: and right now, this is the happiest moment of my life.

((Sayaka! *Bursts into tears*))

 

*sniff* Anyway *sniff* we pan to Kyoko who’s checking out Sayaka ((so to speak)) from a nearby building and eating some snacks.

 

Kyubey: You’re not really going to pick a fight with her are you?

((Where’s Homura when you need her?))

 

Kyoko: Sure why not? You got a problem with that or something?

((Feel free to use him for target practice))

 

Kyubey: Not at all

((Of course you don’t))

 

Kyubey says that hurting Sayaka would be a problem since Homura is also a magical girl, but he doesn’t remember making a contract with Homura, making her an abnormality in the system.

 

((So Kyoko is one of the more antagonistic of the magical girls, but for now this scene is more of a show for how Kyubey despite spending quite some time with Sayaka doesn’t seem too concerned with any possible harm that will come to her. Hell last episode Kyoko implied she was going to kill Sayaka and so far his only response is a half hearted “No… stop… *yawn* don’t,” nudging us to his true nature))

 

 

Kyoko’s not concerned by this information saying that it’s great to shake things up.

((In other words this doesn’t affect her so this topic is boring.))

 

Now we join Madoka and Homura at the mall, where Madoka wanted to talk to Homura about Sayaka over snacks.

((Homura’s disappointed internal monologue: “it’s not a date?”))

((I mean Jesus through the entire scene Homura, despite her still neutral voice and facial expressions, looks captivated by everything she says. Whatever Madoka has called her in for Homura is gladly there, she wants to hear what she has to say, **needs** to hear her say it, whether they’ve had that conversation once or a dozen times.))

 

Madoka says that despite Sayaka’s flaws: stubbornness, hypersensitivity and argumentativeness, she’s really a good person, kind-hearted, brave, and always willing to help others.

((Sayaka’s flaws will come into play more in the upcoming episodes.))

 

Homura: Those are fatal flaws for magical girls

((Well, s%#t))

 

Homura: A person becomes naive if they’re too kind, careless if they’re too bold, and no matter how hard you try to protect others there’s no gratitude. Those who can’t comprehend such things aren’t meant to become magical girls. That’s how Mami Tomoe lost her life.

 

((This is an interesting point. One’s greatest strength can become their greatest weakness. We did see it with Mami, the second she stopped focusing on fighting the witch and became overconfident in her abilities, she headed to the magical girl afterlife. Also the point about no gratitude is great because, if you’re fighting for the sake of other people feeling grateful for what you do, then how heroic are your actions really? ))

 

Madoka came to Homura because she’s worried Mami’s fate will happen to Sayaka, and she wants Homura to keep an eye on Sayaka. Homura listens to Madoka intensely as Madoka describes how helpless she feels at not being able to help her. Madoka then asks if Homura could help Sayaka and if everyone works together everyone would be a lot safer.

 

((Homura is in a tough spot. She knows that Sayaka doesn’t trust her, so any attempts to help or befriend her would just make things worse. To make things even more complicated, in all the timelines she’s seen Sayaka’s fate has…not been kind. Naturally while Homura will try to protect Sayaka from said fate, if for no other reason than for Madoka’s sake, Sayaka’s downfall is inevitable at least from Homura’s perspective.))

 

Homura rejects Madoka’s offer saying she doesn’t like telling lies or making empty promises, so Madoka should just forget about Sayaka. Homura takes partial blame saying that she should have looked out for Sayaka the way she did Madoka, but ultimately Sayaka’s doom is set.

((One thing I noticed throughout the show is during important discussions the animation makes quick cuts during their dialogue to either underscore what the characters are saying, contradict what they say, or highlighting the characters’ actions. In this case it highlights how over the course of the conversation the girls appear to be more and more distant from each other, highlighting Homura’s pessimism and Madoka’s optimism.))

 

Homura: When we decide to make a contract, we give everything up in exchange for one single wish.

Madoka: Does that mean you’ve given up Homura, on all the other girls including yourself?

Homura: Yes, I won’t make any excuses for myself….I will continue my fight till the end.

 

((With these lines I like Homura is indirectly dispelling any arguments of hypocrisy against her. After all with Homura’s goal of protect Madoka until the end, her saying there’s no hope for Sayaka and thus Madoka should give up could easily be argued as hypocritical. Yet Homura acknowledges what she gave up for her wish, and won’t try to separate the girl’s decisions to contract from her own and knows that as she will keep fighting for her wish the same way Sayaka and all the other magical girls Kyubey contracts will fight for their wishes.))

 

Homura: If I’ve wasted your time, I’m sorry.

((We all know there’s 2 things that Homura values most: Madoka and time))

 

We join Sayaka, who is getting ready for a night of fighting witches. Sayaka meets Madoka outside her apartment, and she asks if Sayaka will be ok by herself.

 

Sayaka: I’ll be fine. Hey Mami worked alone too. And if she can do it so can I.

((That’s not exactly comforting Sayaka))

 

Madoka offers to go along with Sayaka for emotional support, and Sayaka accepts the offer because she’s scared of fighting.

Sayaka: *grabs Madoka’s hands* You feel that. My hands are totally shaking….even though I’m a magical girl the thought of going alone’s kind of scary.

 

 

((Seriously though, Madoka is the only one who knows just how miserable Mami was fighting alone, and Sayaka who’s only seen the cool, brave mentor side of Mami doesn’t know yet just how isolating being a magical girl really is. In Sayaka’s mind being a hero means being fearless which is a subtle indicator of her black and white thinking. To her, being a hero means having a specific set of qualities, and she already feels she’s not living up to those standards. It’s fitting that this is the part where Sayaka’s theme begins to change from Conturbatio to Decretum.))

 

Sayaks tells Madoka her presence is so welcoming she feels confident enough to beat up 100 bad guys, and says she’ll protect Madoka the best way she can.

 

Sayaka: Ready to hunt some witches now, just like we used to?

((Used to? You two have only known about witches for a week at most.))

 

Kyubey: You know this is going to be dangerous right?

Sayaka: You know how I am, if I went alone I’d be reckless and get myself killed…but if Madoka’s there I’ll be more focused.

((Sayaka why must you make me cry?))

 

Kyubey: (to Sayaka) Well as long as you thought it through

 

Kyubey: (to Madoka) *Menacingly* You’ve thought this through as well haven’t you Madoka. I know how much you want to protect Sayaka. I think it’s good that you’re coming along with us. That way is we find ourselves in a bad spot; you’ll be our trump card.

 

((Keep in mind Kyubey knows that Kyoko is about to threaten and either injure or kill Sayaka, and he chooses not to tell either girl about this information. So Kyubey is essentially willing to gamble Sayaka’s life for a slim chance Madoka will make a contract with him, and all this time Sayaka has been nothing more than a tool for him to use to get to Madoka.))

 

Kyubey: You don’t have to decide now…but if you do decide on something to wish for I’ll always be ready to grant it for you

 

((Gods of Madokaland: Ok, we’re in episode 5 so we need to make Kyubey even more creepy, manipulative, and evil. Got it?))

 

The girls head over to a barrier, but it’s a familiar’s labyrinth rather than a witch’s. The labyrinth is a toddler’s drawing gone wrong, but Sayaka takes one look at it and thinks she should take precaution. However Kyoko comes in at the last minute to stop Sayaka from killing the familiar, and it runs away unharmed.

 

Kyoko is aghast because Sayaka is fighting without getting a grief seed in return. Sayaka is having none of that because the familiars can still kill someone. Kyoko on the other hand is fine with the deaths because that means a witch will form giving it a grief seed in return.

 

((Here we have two heroes: one a an idealistic girl who wants to fight to protect the innocent and fights on ideals of selflessness, heroism, and justice; the other a girl who knows the harsh realties of life who while she fights for good she’s primarily concerned with her own benefit in order to protect herself.))

 

Kyoko: Ever hear of something called the food chain

((Given how Kyoko eats in every scene she would definitely know about this subject))

 

Kyoko explains the food chain goes: humans, witches, to magical girls then she traps Madoka in a card barrier to prevent her from interfering, afterwards Kyoko insults Sayaka for her idealistic beliefs calling them a load of bull.

 

Sayaka begins fighting Kyoko with her sword, but Kyoko is easily able to defend herself since Sayaka has only been fighting as a magical girl for two days tops.

 

Kyoko: I don’t like you coming in here acting like this is a game, that pisses me off.

*Kicks her to the curb*

Kyoko: Go cool your head for a while

*Begins walking away*

 

((Kyoko admits later that she sees a bit of who she used to be in Sayaka. It’s likely that Kyoko is remembering who she was when she started fighting witches and how she didn’t really think of the consequences of her actions until later, thus she’s projecting those issues onto Sayaka, who, while inexperienced, experienced some of the more drastic consequences firsthand.))

 

Sayaka is able to get up relatively easy, despite receiving a blow that should have landed her in the hospital. This surprises everyone except Kyubey who decides NOW is the perfect time to say since she wished for someone to be healed she now has the power to heal quickly.

 

((Gee that would have been interesting information when she FIRST GOT HER POWERS, but… anyway, the girls powers are connected to what they wish for: Mami’s wish was to “connect lives” so she got her magical ribbons, Sayaka’s wish got her healing powers, that leaves the other girls for later…))

 

Sayaka: You think you’re so tough don’t you. Mami’s gone because of magical girls like you.

Kyoko: Ok, that really pisses me off!

 

((I’ve read some of the manga tie ins to the story, and they show us that before the anime’s events Kyoko and Mami were fairly close before Kyoko’s family situation went to hell. I think that’s true for the anime itself, as opposed to some of the alternate timelines (so to speak) because Kyoko seemed content to walk away until Sayaka said that, indicating that this entire battle all Kyoko wanted to do was make an impression on Sayaka instead of an outright “battle to the death,” but now all bets are off.))

 

The girls start a one sided battle with Kyoko giving strong offensive movements to counteract Sayaka’s weaker defensive moves. Kyoko is the more experienced of the girls so it doesn’t take too long before Kyoko is about to win.

 

Kyoko: You don’t get it when I explain it, and trying to beat some sense into you aint really working. (cheerfully) Guess my only option is to kill you.

 

((Damn Kyoko you’re scary))

 

Sayaka is determined not to lose, and things get even more intense. Madoka doesn’t understand why the girls are fighting each other since they both have the same enemy.

 

((One of my favorite symbolic elements of the show is how Kyubey, a male coded character, is using girl-on-girl hate in order to keep the girls from forming united bonds that would help them strategically and emotionally, distract them from the fact that he is using them for his own benefit, and using their hate to manipulate them into not seeing him for the creepy f%$khead he is.))

 

Kyubey decides now is the perfect time to be a manipulative asshole, because of course he does.

Kyubey: Only another magical girl can get between them now

 

((Kyubey’s internal monologue: Am I breaking her spirit and twisting her arm enough? No? Then I’ll remind her if she doesn’t contract with me she’ll personally be responsible for killing Sayaka. I’m a genius.))

 

Madoka starts to consider his offer and is one second away from making a wish until BAM Homura shows up, uses her power to drag Kyoko’s ass and spear away from Sayaka, and flips her hair like the BAMF she truly is.

 

Credits!

 

 

 

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

 

Times I cried: 5

Sayaka says “for realz:” 3

Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave kudos and/or comments. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	6. Eyes

After replaying the last 30 seconds of the previous episode, Homura uses her time stopping powers to stop the fight between Sayaka and Kyoko.

((The way they show Homura’s power in this episode is pretty brilliant. We never see what power she has, and we only see it’s effects, so we experience what her powers would look like from an outside, one blink and she could kick your ass.))

Homura knocks out Sayaka and begins talking to Kyoko

Kyoko: Whose side are you on?  
Homura: I’m on the side of those who think rationally, and the enemy of idiots who pick fights. I wonder which you belong to Kyoko Sakura.  
((Ooh Burn))

Kyoko wonders how the hell she knows her name, but Homura just gives some non- answers, so Kyoko leaves.

Madoka’s happy Homura saved Sayaka, but Homura is pissed because Madoka almost made a contract with Kyubey.  
((This is the first time Homura starts insulting Madoka, calling her stupid, instead of using silent intimidation. This is a tactic that we haven’t seen from Homura in any timelines we’ve visited indicating this is a last resort. While Homura thinks using these more drastic measures will convince Madoka to not make a contract, what’s more likely to happen in this plan’s resolution, is Madoka gradually becoming less willing to listen to Homura until she feels fear from both Kyubey and Homura and will make a wish out of sheer desperation.))

Kyubey: We have to be careful, she’s planning something, aren’t you Homura Akemi?

((Another consequence of Homura’s insult and threaten plan is, how Kyubey can just act like a nice guy until it appears that Madoka can trust him completely.))

Credits

We join Sayaka back in her room, where she’s purifying her soul gem. Some new information we get from Kyubey is how if the grief seed gets a large amount of soul gem darkness a witch will pop out; also Kyubey can eat the grief seeds as part of his duties.

((The more I watch this show the more surprised I am that I didn’t pick up on this guy’s evilness the first time around.))

Kyubey: We need to find another grief seed before your soul gem needs to be purified  
((Now? Can you wait 5 minutes before making these girls suffer more?))

Kyubey says that if your soul gem is super shiny, you become more powerful.  
((Really is that all?))

Sayaka isn’t willing to try Kyoko’s methods, for obvious reasons. Kyubey says that the more magic a girl uses the more polluted her soul gem becomes.  
((So in order to purify your soul gem you need to fight witches and get grief seeds, but in order to use magic to fight those witches, you need to have a large amount of grief seeds. God it’s like a fantasy ponzi scheme))

Sayaka: But what about Mami, she didn’t seem to have any trouble fighting. Is it because she was better at it than me?  
Kyubey: (chipper) Oh she was much more talented.  
((This tactic Kyubey uses is a highly sneaky one. He gives a seemingly generalized statement, Mami being better at fighting witches, however this method is then translated to Sayaka as, “you suck, God you are terrible at this job.” It’s subtle but very effective.))

Sayaka: That’s so not fair  
((Madoka Magica in one sentence))

Kyubey goes on to tell Sayaka about Madoka’s natural talent to be magical girl, despite her not having any experience.  
((That makes sense given what we’ve seen Madoka like in a crisis situation back in episode 4. She was able to face her fear of being attacked by a mob of hypnotized people and was able to think clearly enough to use what strengths she had in order to save everyone. Madoka would be the perfect magical girl in an anime where we’d want her to become one.))

Kyubey: You could ask Madoka to [fight Kyoko] for you, provided she makes a contract with me.  
((Are you f**king kidding me?))

Sayaka: No way  
((Exactly))

Sayaka wants to keep the drama to herself, and wants to keep Madoka away from danger.

((In this scene Sayaka looks and sounds less confident when she says this. What Kyubey accomplished in this scene was make Sayaka doubt her choice of keeping Madoka away. Kyubey’s noticed Sayaka’s interactions with her friends through the series and in Sayaka’s “regular world”, seaweed hair is “better” than her in every way what with her being rich, popular especially with boys, pretty, smart, and on top of that nice, so it would be easy to feel insecure around her. Now in Sayaka’s “fantasy world” of being a magical girl Kyubey is telling her that she’s average at best and her other friend Madoka is already more talented than her even though Madoka hasn’t even made a contract yet.))

Cut to the next scene with Kyoko playing Dance Dance revolution when Homura shows up.  
((Kyoko is commonly seen in street clothes indicating her delinquent status and lack of uhh… parental guidance))

Homura tries to get Kyoko on her side by offering her full range of Madokaland. Homura says that Kyoko is best suited to being a magical girl and if Sayaka starts bothering Kyoko, Homura will try to settle things herself and as far away from Kyoko as possible.

((Despite telling Madoka she won’t befriend Sayaka, Homura is still going to try to indirectly help her out with the Kyoko rivalry, if for no other reason than because Madoka wants her to. Homura’s tactic of offering her the entire city for grief seed hunts indicate Homura knows Kyoko at least at a basic level.))

Kyoko isn’t buying it though, sensing Homura has ulterior motives.

((Kyoko is more perceptive than meets the eye, let’s face it after working with Kyubey for a certain amount of time she’s bound to recognize when someone’s only giving her a small part of the story, especially since even Kyubey himself has no knowledge of Homura.))

Homura spills some information regarding Walpurgisnaucht, the way she got that info is not given. Homura offers to give the city to Kyoko in exchange for helping her defeat the witch.  
((Homura has hit a stalemate with this particular witch time and time again, so this plan of teaming up with Kyoko helps her in the short and long run, by being able to help save Sayaka in the short run, thus helping to do what Madoka wanted Homura to do, and defeat Walpurgisnaucht, which will keep Madoka from making that contract.))

Kyoko agrees to team up with Homura and offers her a stick of pocky as a token of their alliance.

((The number one way to know if Kyoko likes you: she gives you food))

We join Madoka and Sayaka back at the familiar’s previous spot, with Sayaka unable to track it. Madoka is worried because of Sayaka’s earlier confrontation with Kyoko, and wants the two of them to talk and figure out how to work together.

((Given how Kyoko’s methods can possibly kill people, something tells me Madoka didn’t think through this idea. Given Madoka’s idealistic nature, she thinks that the girls can easily come to an understanding, however Kyoko isn’t willing to listen to the girls yet, so the possibility of working together is miniscule.))

Sayaka is incredulous that Madoka doesn’t grasp the severity of the situation

Sayaka: That was a battle to the death for realz  
((Another one for the for realz pile))

Sayaka has a more realistic grasp of the situation; she can’t get behind Kyoko’s methods for obvious reasons. Madoka however, thinks that since both girls could eventually come to an understanding, even saying she thought Homura and Mami could have become a great team.  
((Ooh… ix nay on the Homura say))

Sayaka says f**k that, Homura waited for Mami to die so she could get a grief seed then had the nerve to act like she wanted to help us.  
Madoka: That’s not…what happened  
Sayaka: They’re just the same, Kyoko and that transfer student

((This is where things get complicated, Sayaka didn’t see Mami blocking off Homura with her ribbons, and Homura being adamant about getting the grief seed definitely did not help matters, however at this point even if Madoka told her what really happened, Sayaka probably wouldn’t believe her.))

Sayaka: Mami wasn’t like them she was the exception to what magical girls are really like. They’re all like those two.

((Sayaka has an idealized image of Mami in her head, as a girl who fought to protect the innocent and never once regretted her decision to become a magical girl. Sayaka spends most of her arch trying to live up to that ideal, but this episode starts to show the darker side of that, with her not wanting to consider **why** a magical girl would be less likely to fight familiars as opposed to witches.))

Sayaka points out how the familiar can still kill people, and asks if Madoka would be ok with Kyoko’s methods if that familiar killed her family.

((Sayaka’s got a point; it’s easy to love characters with questionable morality when their actions don’t affect you.))

Sayaka: If there are people out there worse than witches then I’m gonna fight them especially if they’re magical girls.

((Sayaka’s stance is protect the innocent, and if necessary punish the wicked. This will come to bite her in the butt in later episodes.))

Madoka: Kyubey why don’t you say something?

((I’m sorry Madoka, but Kyubey NOT talking is the only good part of this conversation.))

Kyubey: Sayaka doesn’t have a chance of defeating Homura or Kyoko; besides… do you really think she’ll listen to me?  
((You’re the one encouraging this!!!))

Late that night, Madoka wakes up and goes to her mom for advise. Madoka gives her an outline of what’s happening i.e. a friend’s in trouble, and even though she’s doing the right thing, but she just keeps getting her.

Madoka’s mom: Just because you keep trying to do the right thing doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a happy ending  
((Sayaka’s storyline in one sentence))

mom: The more stubborn a person gets about what they think is right the less happy they’re going to be. It’s like they stop being rational altogether

((What’s brilliant about this line is that people have different ideas about what they think is right and it’s not always correct.))

Madoka doesn’t like hearing that, and asks her mom what she should do.

Mom: At this point I don’t think it will end on a happy note no matter what anyone did.  
((*cries into pillow*))

Madoka’s mom suggests doing something wrong to snap her friend out of it, and says sometimes the wrong thing to do is the best thing.

((In other words sometimes the only option you have is to let your friends know what they’re doing is wrong and that you won’t support it.))

Madoka doesn’t know how Sayaka would react to that, and her mom says her friend may hate her for a while, but asks if it’s better to do nothing or doing something.

mom: I have to say, I did a good job raising you.  
((Yes, yes you did))

Mom:…You always try to do the right thing. But here’s the thing though, before you grow up you need to learn to make the right kind of mistakes…. If you learn to take life’s little hits now it will help you later on…. The more responsibilities you have the less mistakes you’re allowed to make.  
((This advice is painfully accurate))

Mom: Sometimes being an adult can really suck. That’s why we’re allowed to drink alcohol.  
Madoka: I want to grow up so bad now, then you and me can go drinking together.  
Mom: Well then you better hurry up and get older even though it’s not easy, it’s pretty cool to be a grown up.  
((Only this show can make an exchange like this heartbreaking and heartwarming))

((I love this scene because Madoka’s relationship with her mom is the only in-depth family relationship we see on the show (sorry Madoka’s dad), and this scene is all we need to know about Madoka’s mom in general, she genuinely listens to what Madoka has to say, and while her actual advise is atypical, the meaning behind the advise shows she has a grasp on where the situation is going, even if it’s impossible for her to know the true details.))

Back at the hospital, Sayaka runs to see Violin boy only to see he’s not there.  
((Oh God))

A nurse shows up to tell her that V.B. has been discharged due to his progress.

((So the guy Sayaka had a crush on, and the one she made her wish for didn’t think to tell her this important information…. and so the suffering chain of events begins))

Sayaka slowly walks up to the gates of his family’s mansion, and as soon as she’s an inch away from knocking on the door she hears him play the violin, looks a little surprised, happy then finally sad and then turns around.

((These little movements are very Sayaka. She goes to see the object of her affections, and then as soon as she hears him play she hears her reasoning why she made her wish in the first place. Once she does hear it, she’s happy he’s happy then silently chides herself for being selfish for seeing him and finally decides to leave before she interrupts him.))

After turning around Sayaka sees Kyoko.  
((Kyoko honey, weren’t you the one who was worried about Sayaka pestering you))

Kyoko taunts Sayaka about walking all the way to then immediately leaving afterwards. Kyoko then taunts Sayaka about wasting her wish to help someone else.

((Oh Kyoko, you’re projecting and don’t even realize it.))

Kyoko: Magic should only be used to grant wishes for yourself, and if you try using it for any other reason it always turns out bad.

((To be fair, nothing we’ve seen involving magic on this show has turned out well.))

((I think this line shows the reason Kyoko has taken a vested interest in Sayaka. I think that Kyoko has some small regrets about making her wish, and Sayaka’s type of wish is making her angry at the stupidity of her past actions.))

Kyoko: If all you want is to get a guy to love you, there’s better ways of doing it…. For starters you could bust in there right now and break his arms and legs … make him so helpless he won’t be able to do anything without you. You do that and he’ll be yours and yours alone.

((Gotta admire her efficiency if nothing else))

After Kyoko offers to beat up Violin Boy, Sayaka is so pi$$ed she offers to fight Kyoko, something she agrees to.  
Back at Madoka’s house, Madoka is remembering her mother’s advise when Kyubey tells her Sayaka’s in danger.

((I don’t know how but Kyubey had something to do with this fight))

After Kyoko transforms, Madoka shows up to try and stop Sayaka from transforming and fighting. Madoka tries reasoning with Sayaka but Sayaka just tells her to stay out of the way.  
Kyoko: The annoying bitch has an annoying friend [Madoka} go figure

Homura: Well, I wonder what kind of friends you’d have then

((Translation: I swear to God if I didn’t need you for an alliance I’d punch you in the throat for insulting Madoka))

Homura reminds Kyoko about their arrangement, and then offers to fight Sayaka for her.

Kyoko: You’ve got until I finish eating this pocky  
Homura: that’s plenty of time

((Given Homura’s dedication to Madoka it’s likely her blows would only leave bruises as opposed to Kyoko’s “let’s put her in the hospital” method of fighting. Madoka, however, does not know this.))

Madoka in a fit of panic grabs Sayaka’s soul gem then throws it off the bridge, and Homura, clearly worried, uses her powers to teleport off the bridge to get and return it. While that happens…

*Sayaka passes out and has a dull lifeless expression in her eyes*

Kyubey: Oh Madoka that was really bad. What’s wrong with you…how could you throw away your friend like that?  
((What’s wrong with… what… you… you didn’t tell her you little dips*$t))

Kyoko steps in and Holy Crap Sayaka is dead. Madoka tries to wake her up to no avail.

((No matter how many times I watch this scene I get chills down my spine))

Kyoko demands answers from Kyubey, something everyone in the audience also wants.

Kyubey: There’s a limit to how far a magical girl can be from her body.

Kyoko is confused, as are the rest of us

Kyubey: This kind of thing rarely happens so I’m not surprised you find it disturbing

((No s%&t, you know why you keep lying to these girls))

Madoka doesn’t care about explanations; all she wants is for Sayaka to stay alive.

Kyubey: *sigh* Madoka that isn’t Sayaka. It’s just an empty shell.

Kyubey asks if the girls honestly thought he would let them fight in their own bodies. He logically explains that the girl’s bodies are just remote controls for their soul gems or “real bodies.” In other words he rips their souls from their bodies and puts them in an easy to carry object.

Kyoko is pissed by this turn of events, then insults and picks up Kyubey

((Get him Kyoko!))

Kyubey only asks whether or not it’s more convienient for the girls this way since it’s easier to fight

((Most people cite episode 3 as the series’ wham episode, or the episode where the premise of the show takes a dramatic turn where you know nothing would ever be the same afterwards. I disagree with that. All through episodes one through three Mami and Kyubey repeated over and over again how being a magical girl is a dangerous job and how the girl’s could get killed during battle. While Mami’s death IS shocking everytime I watch it and brutal in its execution, in the long run its purpose in the episode was an extension of what the audience was already told. To me, the first time I watched this show, the moment Kyubey utters about Sayaka being an empty shell onward was the moment where the series took a dramatic turn. This is where I first realized that Kyubey is not just an extremely creepy version of Luna or Cerberus, this is an evil little creature whose only response is asking whether it’s convenient for them, a creature whose ideals are far removed from anything resembling humanity. This THING has been keeping things from the girls since episode 1 and is keeping more information hidden from them.))

Madoka isn’t buying any of the bull$*it he’s spewing, instead she cries over Sayaka’s lifeless body feeling powerless to do anything.

Kyubey: It never fails, whenever I tell you humans the simple facts you always react the same way. It makes no sense at all. Why are humans so sensitive about the container their souls are in?

((translation: I’ve done nothing wrong, you girls are just too sensitive))

((The first time I watched this show this line is where I went from disliking to hating this character. Kyubey has lied to the girls by omitting the conditions of the contract they signed for, and when the girls are understandably horrified that being a magical girl means their souls are now no longer in their bodies, thus having their humanity ripped from them he BLAMES THEM for feeling upset at his own behavior. One of the more common and most infuriating method of manipulation is making the victim feel like their own responses to the manipulation are worse than the manipulators disgusting behavior, and from this point on that method becomes one of Kyubey’s more prominent manipulation tactics.))

Homura gives Sayaka back her soul gem, slowly giving back the life in her eyes. Sayaka gasps for breath, and slowly sits up asking:

What’s up what happened?

((Poor Sayaka is going to be the show’s punching bag for the next two episodes))

((For those who want to know the meaning of the chapter’s title, it comes from how I noticed how all the characters soul gems are the same colors as their eyes. After all, what are eyes but windows to the soul.))

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

Times I cried: 5.5  
Sayaka says “for realz:” 4  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how you felt about this week's chapter.


	7. The Downward Spiral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((*Opens up episode 7*))
> 
> ((*Realizes what will happen to Sayaka in the next episode)*)
> 
> ((*Decides to do other things for a couple of weeks to delay the inevitable*))

The episode begins with Sayaka entering her room and dropping her soul gem on the desk, still in shock over the last episode’s events.

Sayaka: ((*to Kyubey*)) You tricked us, didn’t you

((Oh yeah))

Kyubey: Not necessarily, I did make it perfectly clear I wanted you to become magical girls. I just didn’t explain the form you’d be taking to do that.

((Pfft… yeah after all why would you expect her to freak out? What’s that? You said in the previous episode that **every girl** who found out reacted the same way. You know if there’s a basic pattern you may want to be upfront about the whole “soul not in body” thing, of course then again that would require you to be honest, trustworthy, and thinking about her as something other than an lamb for your slaughterhouse.))

Sayaka: Why wouldn’t you tell us something like that?

((Because he knew you’d be less likely to make a contract if you did know))

Kyubey: Because you never asked.

((Translation: Because my goal is to bring you as much misery as possible, and since I noticed that humans react negatively to this information I deliberately kept this from you. Of course telling you this would require me to admit I’m at fault so instead I’m shifting the blame to you.))

Kyubey says he doesn’t understand why she’s making such a big deal, since she wouldn’t have felt the difference, even saying Mami never found out.

((Bringing up Sayaka’s hero to make her feel worse about herself… Kyubey every time I think you hit a new low, you just keep digging yourself deeper.))

Kyubey goes on to say that human’s bodies are too fragile to fight witches so he put the soul in a physical form so it would be easier to fight the witches and take the pain, along with keeping the soul in an easy to track container.

((Translation: The problem isn’t the fact that I’ve been lying to for weeks by omitting this critical detail and strip the source of your humanity away from you. No the problem is your body.))

Sayaka: (*more hesitantly*) Well, nobody asked you to do that did they!

((What this show has really captured about manipulation is how when the aggressor is going on their spiel about how they aren’t at fault and “really you’re the one causing the problem” they always have just enough logic in their manipulative rants to make their victims start seeing the manipulators point of view. This essentially creates a lose-lose situation for the victim. In this case Sayaka feels like she can’t argue with Kyubey because while she knows he’s wrong, he’s making just enough sense that she feels like she can’t argue with him.))

Kyubey: You still don’t understand the dangers of combat do you

((Oh God here we go))

Kyubey goes up to Sayaka’s soul gem and simulates a spear impaling her body.

(((Sarcasm) Great. Now Kyubey is using both physical and emotional abuse))

Kyubey continues impaling her while saying Sayaka was able to survive fighting with Kyoko because of her body modifications.

((The entire scene he’s indirectly saying “I’m hurting you so you can understand, see it’s for your own good.”))

When he stops hurting her, he says that she can block out the pain if she wants, but it will cause more physical damage.

Sayaka: How could you do this to us…why?

((How could you hurt me? how could you betray my trust? How could you take away my humanity?))

Kyubey: You did accept a destiny of fighting witches, provided I granted one wish for you. That wish has come true hasn’t it?

((You got what you wanted so shut up))

Credits!!

We join Madoka back at school, Sayaka opting to stay home all day staring at her soul gem.

((Sayaka is at the beginning stages of trauma where she’s trying to process what happened to her. After all having your soul thrown off a bridge and then being impaled by an evil bunny is likely to cause a high amount of stress.))

((Side note: Does the school remove desks when the students are absent? That… that seems unnecessary.))

Madoka joins Homura on the roof to talk.

Madoka: You knew about this didn’t you. How come you didn’t tell us about it before?

Homura: Would you believe me if I did? I’ve tried telling others before but no one ever does.

((This exchange shows a foil between Kyubey and Homura. Homura has tried countless times to try to tell the others the truth about becoming a magical girl and, because no one would believe her, over time she’s suffered because she was gradually forced to withhold the truth and bare the consequences when the truth finally came out, whereas Kyubey has deliberately held back the truth to cover his ass and comes out smelling like roses each time.))

Madoka: But why would Kyubey do something so cruel to us?

((Oh Madoka, You have yet to receive the brunt of Kyubey’s dickishness))

Homura: Because he doesn’t think what he did was cruel. That creature doesn’t understand human values.

((I’m gonna call bull$*it on this. Kyubey has worked with humans for thousands of years, he had to at least have known that humans love to keep their souls inside their bodies, and thus know that what he does from their perspective is wrong. What I do believe is Homura is saying this either because Madoka’s everlasting faith in the goodness of people, and evil rabbits, won’t let her believe this or Homura doesn’t know how long the witch system has taken place.))

Madoka: But there’s nothing fair about it. What [Kyubey] did to her isn’t right. All Sayaka wanted was to help someone she loved.

((episodes 7 and 8: a summary))

Homura: An agreement is still an agreement. It made the impossible possible.

Homura says that no matter how much Sayaka helped Violin Boy he wouldn’t get better on his own. She goes on to say that Kyubey sells a wish like that in exchange for a life.

((It’s interesting to note how Homura says life instead of soul. In effect this is what happens in Madokaland when you make a contract. You either die or you give up your life as a human entirely.))

Madoka expresses concern whether Sayaka can return to her normal life, but Homura just says to stay away from Sayaka. Madoka is reluctant since Sayaka is her best friend and she saved her life. Homura says that her gratitude shouldn’t be mistaken for responsibility.

Homura: And if you’re trying to repay her to ease your guilt, don’t. That’s arrogant thinking and you should stop it.

((In other words, just because Madoka’s thankful of what Sayaka did, she is not responsible to prioritize Sayaka’s well being over her. This fits well with the show’s theme of selfishness vs. selflessness, while Sayaka needs to have Madoka as a supportive figure in her life, if Madoka goes too far, ie. making a contract with Kyubey to help her, that will be disastrous in the long run for everyone involved.))

Madoka: Why so you act so cold?

Homura: Maybe I act this way because I’m not human anymore

((It’s understandably easier for Homura to point out her inhumanity, rather than examine how the traumas she’s faced over the years could affected a person.))

Back in Sayaka’s room, Sayaka is having and existential crises wondering how she’s going to face Violin boy now.

((Part of Sayaka’s insecurity is how she feels she’s not worthy of romantic love. Now that Sayaka thinks she lost her humanity, she no longer thinks she’s worthy of love.))

Kyoko shows up trying to teasingly goading Sayaka outside. Kyoko wants to talk to Sayaka, so they go for a walk.

((It’s both funny and cute at how easy Kyoko is able to temporarily snap Sayaka out of her focus on Violin boy.))

The two head on their walk, and Kyoko starts giving her opinion on the matter.

((Before things get serious…Sayaka, honey, why are you in your school uniform? You stayed home from school that day. Did the animators just not have any idea how teenage girls dress?))

Kyoko is certain that Sayaka regrets making her contract, but Kyoko herself is fine with it since she can do what she wants with her powers.

Sayaka: You think you got what you paid for huh?  
Kyoko: Hell Yeah I did

((I love Kyoko so much.))

Kyoko: If you live for yourself you only got yourself to blame. So I can’t really blame anyone else and I don’t have any regrets.

((Here we see the other side of Kyoko’s “I do what I want” attitude and while it is selfish in nature there is also a selfless component. Kyoko acknowledges she’ll do bad things through her life, but she admits her actions are hers and not blame anyone else for those actions. In episode 4-5 Kyoko was set up as an arc villain so it makes since that once Kyubey’s true colors show, lying to the girls and blaming them for not asking him, we start to see Kyoko’s character development.))

The two enter an old broken down church, and Kyoko tosses Sayaka some food, but Sayaka throws it on the ground.

(( I joked in the previous chapter that the number 1 sign Kyoko is your friend is if she offers you food, but here Sayaka, who still views Kyoko in a negative light is regecting the food and symbolically Kyoko’s attempt to make amends. However…))

Kyoko lunges toward Sayaka and threatens to kill her if she wastes food again. Realizing what she’s doing, Kyoko drops Sayaka and decides now is the time to reveal her tragic backstory.

Kyoko’s father was a minister who wanted to make the world a better place, so he changed some of the things he was preaching to apply to modern times, but all it did was make him sound like a cult leader. He was excommunicated and the family was left poor and without food. Kyoko became disillusioned with the world around her and angry at how people would refuse to listen to her father just because he was saying thing they didn’t like. Then Kyubey showed up, so she made her wish.

((I’ve heard others ask why Kyoko never fell into despair while Sayaka did since she had the “worst” backstory of the two. My reasoning is how much of Sayaka’s arc is her wanting to be a magical girl because she had an idealistic view of the world and much of her downward spiral is attributed to her realizing how awful the world can be and being forced to choose between selflessness and selfishness. Kyoko already knew how much people could suck before she made her contract so she was easily able to choose selfishness.))

Kyoko wished for others to listen to her dad and take him seriously, indirectly having some mind control esque effect on the congregation. Things seemed to be looking up for a while, with hum preaching and her fighting witches, however one day Kyoko’s father saw her fighting and she told him everything. Learning the awful truth that Kyoko accidentally wished for him to have a charmed voice, furious he called her a witch.

((Well he’s not completely wrong))  
Shortly afterward he got angrier and drank until his anger boiled up so much he killed his family and then himself, leaving Kyoko behind.

((I think Kyoko is unintentionally an unreliable narrator. She says that he killed the family, implying only Kyoko’s mother and sister, however there are a huge pile of bodies in her flashback sequence and her father has flames around his face and then on the pile of bodies, so I have to ask: how did that church break down and how many people did Kyoko’s father kill?))

Kyoko’s selfless wish ruined her family so she chose the path of selfishness and refuses to help anyone with her powers ever again.

((One thing I didn’t want to mention until now was how one of Kyoko’s powers is to create a barrier, symbolizing Kyoko cutting herself off from people.))

Kyoko: Miracles aren’t free, you know, if you wish for something good to happen a lot of bad stuff has to happen

((That and the fact that the guy in charge of giving wishes is a total di*k))

Kyoko’s telling Sayaka this because she wants her to avoid the same fate and have Sayaka do what she wants so she won’t have regrets about making her wish. Sayaka isn’t buying it since Kyoko is doing something selfless after going on about why she’s selfish.

((Given how the two have been engaging in battles to the death for the past two episodes I would be confused too.))

Kyoko says she just wants Sayaka to stop being so selfless because it will just cause her pain. Her outlook is that Sayaka should do what she wants when she wants to because, hey, Sayaka got more than what she bargained for anyway. Kyoko knows how the world works, so she figures Sayaka would be better in the long run by choosing selfishness.

((As we’ll see the next two episodes Kyoko is right, Sayaka’s main problem is how she believes she has to be purely selfless in order to be a hero, is she cast that aside half of her problems could have been avoided.))

Sayaka admits that she was wrong about Kyoko, but she has no regrets about making her wish for someone else and will never regret anything surrounding her wish. Sayaka believes that magic can be used for great things, and asks Kyoko how she paid for her apples, and when Kyoko doesn’t reply Sayaka leaves despite Kyoko desperately trying to get Sayaka to listen to her. If Kyoko disagrees she could fight her, and won’t hate her for it, leaving Kyoko behind to eat in an angsty way.

((I mentioned before how Madoka Magica uses cuts to illustrate or discredit a point and while Sayaka is giving her spiel about how she won’t regret anything and how magic can be used for great things, it cuts to the blood stained church indicating that her philosophy isn’t going to work for the best, and how Kyoko’s wish illustrated the true dangers of how magic is used, because Kyoko thought her wish would benefit her family, but instead her wish caused a chain of events that caused the deaths of at least 3 people. Also when the camera shows a mosaic angled in a way that looks like an angel on Sayaka’s side is stabbing Kyoko foreshadowing the consequences of Sayaka’s wish will later have.))

((I love this scene because Kyoko’s character development transitions from villain to anti- hero, and brilliantly sets her up as a foil for Violin Boy. When we’re introduced to V.B he’s representative of Sayaka’s extreme selflessness, since he’s kind and caring toward Sayaka since they’ve been a part of each other’s lives for a long time. He’s received the benefit of Sayaka’s wish, but despite his limited characterization he is still a flawed human being such as when he doesn’t tell Sayaka that he was discharged and throws himself into violin practice indicating that being purely selfless for someone is itself a flaw because humans are flawed in nature. Kyoko on the other hand starts out representing selfishness, willing to let familiars kill humans so she doesn’t have to expand extra energy fighting for nothing. However as the series goes on Kyoko starting with offering Sayaka advise and willing to look out for her, indicating how selfishness in and of itself is not always a bad thing. Kyoko represents the show’s idea of how people do have selfish and selfless motives. She started out a selfish and selfless wish of wanting to have a better family life, but when her wish went horribly wrong she used her selfishness to survive a situation she had little control over, Kyoko’s character arc is about regaining her previous selflessness and as a result Kyoko ends up embodying the show’s main theme.))

In the next scene Sayaka is walking to school, and Madoka and seaweed hair join her.

((Sayaka has realized she’s lost her humanity less than 48 hours ago, it was easy for Sayaka to say the previous scene that she wouldn’t regret her wish because a. it was still a shock and b. she had stayed home from school the previous day. Now Sayaka has to face going through her everyday routine as though the traumatic occurrence didn’t happen.))

Sayaka seems uneasy, but once the three start walking Seaweed asks why Sayaka stayed home from school, and Sayaka acts as though everything is fine to both S.H. and Madoka.

((Sayaka is obviously lying though her teeth but poor Madoka takes what she says at face value until…))

Sayaka sees Violin Boy walking to school.

((Oh s*it))

Seaweed seems happy to see him

((oooohhhh sssshhhh****tttt))

Sayaka is not happy to see him, and Madoka is upset because she’s not happy. Sayaka spends most of the day distant, and Madoka tries encouraging her to talk to him.  
((Oh Madoka, if only you knew what’s going to happen))

Cut to the next scene with Seaweed and Sayaka.

Seaweed reveals that she’s secretly had a crush on violin boy for a long time, and now she’s in love with him.

Sayaka: (*nervous laughter*) I never would have guessed…

((This is the point where Sayaka realizes that no, things can’t go back to before she found out the truth of being a magical girl. Sayaka is still the same insecure girl she was before making her contract and at this stage any self worth has plummeted to the ground, and seaweed is, for all intents and purposes, perfect and on top of that still has her soul. Because of this, Sayaka views herself as subhuman as shown when she looks at her soul gem the previous day and calls herself a “thing,” so this love confession could not come at a worse time. This is the turning point in the anime where it’s clear that Sayaka will meet a tragic end.))

Seaweed asks if Sayaka considers Violin Boy a friend or “something more,” a question Sayaka is reluctant to answer. Seaweed considers Sayaka a true friend and because of that she gives Sayaka 24 hours to confess her feelings to him, otherwise Seaweed will confess her own feeling to V.B.

S.H: Think about what you want so you don’t have any regrets later.

((I’ve seen Hitomi, who I’ve lovingly dubbed as seaweed hair, get a lot of hate because of her going after Violin Boy, but in not-Madokaland this plan would actually make sense. Sayaka’s rather impulsive by nature so from Hitomi’s perspective she’ll go after V.B if she does have feelings, but if Sayaka doesn’t then she’ll be in the clear. The one flaw in this plan is that she’s completely unaware of the life Sayaka’s taken for herself and as a result this leads to a heartbreaking chain of events. The show does a great job of showing how Hitomi really does not have bad intentions when she tells Sayaka this information, and how this is just a messed up situation from all angles.))

The next scene shows Sayaka leaving her apartment complex with Kyubey to go fight witches.

((Oh hello Kyubey, I almost forgot about how much I want to strangle you))

((This is the last scene we see Kyubey with Sayaka and they’re not talking so Kyubey probably teleported into Sayaka’s room after the first scene of this episode, because A. we’ve seen him use that power, and B. I wouldn’t open my door to someone who stabbed me.))

Sayaka meets Madoka outside and she asks if Sayaka wants her to come along for emotional support.

Sayaka: (on the verge of tears) Why are you always so nice to me? I don’t deserve a friend like you.  
Sayaka confesses that she briefly thought about what would happen if she didn’t save Hitomi (Seaweed).

Sayaka: What would Mami think if she was still here?

((Now is when we see Sayaka’s failing to live up to what she thinks is Mami’s standards start to bite her back.))

Madoka gives Sayaka a hug and starts to listen to her let it all out.

((Madoka knows how Mami truly felt scared and lonely during her stint as a magical girl and at times had doubts about fighting. I can understand why Madoka doesn’t tell Sayaka this, after all it can be hard tell someone that the person they view as a true hero had flaws and doubts of their own without diminishing who they were as people. So right now Madoka’s giving a shoulder to cry on trying to help in the only way she knows how.))

Sayaka: I’m going to loose (Violin Boy) to Hitomi, and there’s nothing I can do about it…. I’m already dead. I’m a zombie. I can’t ask him to hold me if I’m like this. I can’t ask him to kiss me.

((Sayaka’s already close to the despair event horizon, she thinks of herself as a subhuman thing that’s only good to fight wishes and the boy she has a crush on would “obviously want to be with someone better than me.” She has no way to hell anyone outside of those who have had contact with Kyubey how she feels, her best friend is destined to be a better magical girl than her, she’s failed to live up to her hero’s expectations, and on top of that Kyubey’s eating up her misery like a cake on a silver platter.))

Sayaka: I feel better now, I’m sorry.

Madoka: You don’t have to be.

((Madoka you are all that is good in this world))

In the next scene Kyoko’s watching Sayaka from outside the witch’s barrier.

((Kyoko’s taken on the role of protector for Sayaka because of a combination of guilt, interest, and “Hey Kyubey’s an a$$hole who manipulated both of us so we should stick together”))

Homura shows up curious why Kyoko’s there. Kyoko says since Sayaka’s fighting a witch she’ll at least get a grief seed out of it.

Homura: I’m surprised you’d give up your prey so easily just to help her out

((Homura you are the last person to talk about people making sacrifices for those they care about))

Kyoko: What the hell she doing? She’s going to get herself killed.

((Kyoko’s inner monologue: time to save my crush))

Cut to Sayaka fighting the witch

((I like Decretum, Sayaka’s theme for this scene, because it captures Sayaka’s magical girl career. It starts out light and happy but once it gets to the violins, Sayaka focus on her wish, it starts to bring a sense of sadness and grief fading out.))

 

Sayaka’s fighting recklessly and getting hit by familiars and the witch herself, so much so that Madoka’s afraid she’ll get killed.

Kyoko steps in taking down some familiars and offers to fight the witch under the pretense of showing some moves.

Sayaka: I can do this alone get out of my way

((Sayaka rejecting Kyoko is an extension of her extreme black and white morality, something that’s highlighted since the scene is literally in black and white. She’s refusing out of her belief that Kyoko’s only helping her out of pity instead of genuinely wanting to help since, admittingly, Kyoko herself says she puts herself first.))

Sayaka speeds past the girls and chops the witch’s head off, and then starts laughing only stopping when the familiars attack her. While she’s demolishing the witch with her sword she says:

“ It’s true I can block out the pain. I don’t feel any pain anymore.”

((The first time I watched this show, when Sayaka said those words I knew she was doomed in some way. By echoing Kyubey’s she’s officially acknowledged herself as no longer human, after all how many times have we heard in media a character saying they wanted to feel physical pain just so they can feel alive and fully human. By blocking physical pain she’s by extension trying to block the emotional pain she feels, but by doing so her pain is going to fester until it explodes.))

Madoka: Stop… Please… Stop

Credits

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

Times I cried: 7  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 60


	8. Witchy Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madokaland is doomed.

The episode begins where the last one ended, with Sayaka whacking the sh*t out of the witch taking a flying leap into black and white insanity.

((Literally))

As the labrynth collapses around her Sayaka says

”Shutting out the pain’s pretty easy once you know how to do it. This way I’ll never loose another fight.”

((Sayaka learning about Hitomi’s feelings for Violin Boy proved the catalyst for Sayaka’s doom but this is where she really starts to get hurt, by throwing herself into magical girl duties to avoid emotional pain after blocking out all physical pain.))

((Also, when she says this we see small circles with musical notes, we only seen them when Sayaka feels she’s in pain. This will become relevant later in the episode.))

Sayaka picks up a grief seed, smiles, and throws it to Kyoko.

Sayaka: You can have it, that’s what you’re here for isn’t it.

((Since Kyoko went through some major character development over literally one episode Sayaka understandably doubts Kyoko’s intentions to help Sayaka.))

Sayaka: I don’t want to owe you anything; we’re even now got it.

((I bet Kyoko’s starting to regret wanting Sayaka to stay out of her way))

Sayaka de-transforms and falls into Madoka’s arms.

((Seems the feel-no-pain attitude Sayaka was taking about earlier isn’t physically focused))

Kyoko watches the girls slowly walk away.

Kyoko: That idiot

((So Sayaka is someone who was idealistic and who once believed could help change the world. However once she learned the awful truth, started acting in a self destructive way and lashes out violently. I wonder whom this sounds like from Kyoko’s perspective.))

Credits!

Madoka and Sayaka are sitting in a terminal seeking shelter from a storm.

Madoka: Sayaka you can’t fight like that.

((Madoka is understandably worried since the last person she saw someone fight a witch in a reckless manner was Mami))

Madoka: (tearing up) You’re lying if you say it doesn’t hurt it hurt just watching you.

(( Madoka’s a highly sympathetic and empathetic person, she’s watched Sayaka’s reactions to the events of the last two episodes with increased vigilance. She knows that Sayaks’s close to breaking and she feels if she doesn’t do something then Sayaka will end up dead.))

Madoka: (crying) Just because you can’t feel the pain doesn’t mean it’s ok to hurt yourself

((For all the flack Madoka gets for “crying way too much”, it’s only around this episode that the waterworks start occur on a regular basis. Yeah… after Mami die, a death Madoka knows was partially because she was so happy Madoka said she’d become a magical girl, and now her best friend is on a destructive, suicidal path, I’d say she’s entitled to a few crying spells.))

Sayaka: If I don’t fight like that I can’t win

Madoka: Even if you win every battle it’s not good for you

((Madoka’s right, Kyubey, unreliable ass he is, said that dulling the pain slows reaction time thus giving out more injuries. Sayaka’s the only one who knows this so her fighting this way is an indirect form of self-harm. While Madoka doesn’t know the details, she knows the emotional pain Sayaka’s going through and her empathy makes her perceptive on what Sayaka is trying to do.))

Sayaka: And what is good for me? (shows her soul gem) I’ve been turned into a monster. How can anything be good for me again?

((Sayaka’s rage at herself is starting to boil over. Self loathing is basically aggression turned inward, so when Madoka, who Kyubey said has way more potential to be a great magical girl than Sayaka, starts to console her that aggression turns outward.))

Sayaka: All I can do now is fight witches that’s my new purpose in life. I’m useless otherwise.

((Despite all the crap she’s going through, Sayaka still believes the world is worth saving. She decides that instead of helping herself, she’ll throw herself into helping others.))

Sayaka: I’m just a walking corpse pretending it’s still alive. Who’s going to help me now? Who’d want to?  
(( And here we have all of Sayaka’s insecurities in less than 20 words))  
Madoka: But I want to help. I just don’t know what to do to make you happy again.

((I wish I could tell Madoka that things will work out in the end but… *cries for an hour*))

Sayaka: Why don’t you fight for a change?

((There’s a flash of red of Sayaka angrily showing Madoka her soul gen symbolizing how she really feels during this whole conversation))

Sayaka tells Madoka what Kyubey’s been telling her the past few episodes, Madoka confused and hurt by the implications. Sayaka claims that Madoka isn’t that sympathetic to her situation, saying she won’t even “give up her humanity out of pity.”

((Sayaka’s self loathing has officially turned outward))

Madoka: It’s not that I won’t…

((Thank God Homura isn’t listening to this conversation))

Sayaka: Don’t act like you care it’s obvious you don’t… don’t follow me.

After running in the rain for God knows how long Sayaka says to herself while the camera shows her cloudy soul gem

“I’m so stupid, how could I say those things. Hopelessly stupid”

((Even though Sayaka hasn’t fallen into despair yet, it’s clear that Sayaka has immediately regretted lashing out on Madoka now truly viewing herself as a monster and has gone from not wanting to be saved to believing she is incapable of being saved.))

While all of this is going on Kyoko and Homura are having a meeting discussing Walpurgisnaucht’s arrival

Homura: Walpurgisnaucht is supposed to appear in this area

Kyoko: What makes you so sure?

Homura: (deadpan) Statistics

((Homura is done with everything and it’s glorious))

Kyoko wants more information about the witch they’re about to fight, and Homura is as silent as she’s been about everything else in this series. Which is good because…

Kyubey: I was wondering the exact same thing.

((Ugh))

Kyoko: *threatens him with a spear*

((Thank you Kyoko))

Kyubey: Oh my, perhaps I’m not welcome here after all.

((You think?!))

Kyubey tells the girls that Sayaka’s heading off the deep end pretty fast, and says she’ll cause some trouble before Walpurgisnacht arrives.

((You’re enjoying this aren’t you, you sick f*ck))

Kyubey says Homura knows just as much about the situation as he does.

Kyubey: How did you learn about these interesting things? Enlighten me.

((Translation: Please let me destroy you as quickly as I possibly can))

Homura tells him to get the hell out and Kyoko is disappointed she didn’t kill him.

((Me too, Kyoko))

Homura: There’s no point trying to kill that creature.

((But it would be so satisfying))

Kyoko wants to know what’s up with Sayaka, and Homura says that pretty soon her soul gem will be tainted and no one could save her if that happened.

((And if that happens she’ll be in trouble with Madoka))

The next day, Madoka is unable to focus since Sayaka’s not in class again.

((Again with unnecessarily removing the desks!))

((Side note: The teacher’s English lesson citing the difference between “must” and “have to” is ridiculously applicable to the episode’s plot.))

Madoka: Why did I let her go? I should have gone after her.

((Please help this child))

After school, Hitomi walks with Violin Boy and makes it clear she’s about to confess her feelings to him.

((*praying* Sweet merciful God, end this show now))

Madoka goes looking for Sayaka, who hasn’t shown up at home either.

Sayaka has shown up just in time to watch Hitomi confess her feelings, which leaves her in an existential liquid void and harshly battling familiars.

((Sayaka has realized she’s given up her normal life and soul over a guy who doesn’t have feelings for her, maybe never had feelings for her in the first place, and who thought so little of her he DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER TO TRY TALKING TO HER SINCE HE WAS DISCHARGED, SERIOUSLY THEY HAVE PHONES I’M NOT ASKING FOR MUCH JUST A CALL EVEN A TEXT WOULD BE FINE BUT NOOOOOOOOO.)))

((HE ISN’T EVEN THAT CUTE))

Homura shows up to judge Sayaka’s life choices, telling her she should only fight witches and throws a grief seed at her.

((This episode shows how Homura was right when saying someone like Sayaka isn’t fit for being a magical girl. Fighting familiars only puts someone at further risk of death and corruption since you’re fighting for no reward. ))

Sayaka kicks the seed away, which pi$$es Homura off near her limit.

((Homura’s not the type to help others by being warm and fuzzy, she’s a girl of action and in this case it means showing some tough love.))

Homura: You’re in no position to refuse my help, or do you just hate the idea of it.

((It’s the latter, Sayaka wants to emulate Mami, and Homura was, in Sayaka’s opinion, an obstacle to Mami because she believes Homura is only fighting to gain as much power as the grief seeds give her, and this goal lead to Homura just sitting by while Mami died. If she accepts help from Homura it will be like spitting on Mami’s grave.))

Sayaka says that she decided to fight all familiars and witches, and won’t hurt anyone or associate with anyone who does. Homura says this will just lead to her death, something Sayaka’s not worried about since that will only happen when she can’t kill witches.

Sayaka: The world doesn’t need a magical girl if she can’t even kill a witch.

((Poor Sayaka, thinking she’ll only die if her soul gem is corrupted.))

Homura tries a different approach saying she’s just trying to help, but Sayaka calls B.S. on that saying Homura’s lying.

Sayaka: You sound like someone who’s given up on everything… You’re not fooling anyone.

((Damn Sayaka you’ve hit the nail right on the head))

Homura: Do you realize you’re just making Madoka suffer more and more?

((I mentioned in an earlier chapter that this timeline is where Homura is the most desperate, and this is the point where her stoicism starts eroding))

Sayaka: Madoka? This has nothing to do with her.

((…And now Cue Homura cracking))

Homura: You’re wrong everything has to do with her.

((It was at this point in the series the first time around I suspected Homura’s devotion to Madoka went beyond her wanting to avoid Kyubey tricking another girl))

Homura is now done with Sayaka’s self-destructive path so she tries a different approach.

Homura: You’re right about me, I don’t give a damn whether you live or die. I don’t care. I just don’t want Madoka to see you like this…. If you don’t let me help you you’re going to die either way. If you make her suffer any more than I will kill you right here right now Sayaka Miki.

((Speeches aren’t Homura’s style, if she really though that killing Sayaka was the best course of action she would have done it as soon as she transformed, after all protecting Madoka is her number one priority. Homura’s employing a more violent version of shaking and shouting “get a hold of yourself man.” It’s violent and ineffective, so it’s just a last ditch effort to stop Sayaka in her tracks.))

Kyoko sees this and, having no idea what’s going on, grabs onto Homura so Sayaka can walk away uninjured. Kyoko figures out after this that Homura can’t use her powers if restrained.

((Kyoko’s more observant than we give her credit for))

Homura, done with everything at this point, grabs a grenade from her storage space and pulls out the pin so Kyoko will let go and she can teleport.

((Homura: *internally* f*ck it, time for explosions))

So now Sayaka has isolated herself from her friends, realized the boy she gave up her soul for probably never had feelings for her, rejected outside help from Homura who then threatened to kill Sayaka, and is planning to go on a suicide mission fighting as many witches and familiars as she possibly can before dying alone in battle. Well at least she still believes she’s fighting for justice and everything will be worth it because she’s protecting innocent people.

Then we get the train scene.

On this train Sayaka hears some sexist assholes spewing their garbage about how women are useless whores who’s only purpose in their lives are to give them money and sex until they’re old and no longer of “any use.”

((Three things about this:  
1\. The dialogue for this scene is taken from a conversation Gen Urobuchi, a.k.a. the supreme god of Madokaland, heard while he was on the train so… yeah I hate men.  
2\. I don’t know why the dub has them talking like stereotypical black guys.  
3\. Manipulative assholes using girls until they’re used up and jaded… sounds a lot like and evil rabbit we know of.))

Sayaka confronts the two, who wants to know about the girl they were talking about, calls them out on them out on being manipulative assholes, and asks herself if the world she was trying to protect was really so great to begin with.

((I know this scene is Sayaka loosing all faith in humanity to the point where she goes from protecting the innocent to punishing the wicked, but what happens next is one of my favorite moments in the series.))

Sayaka transforms and then attacks and/or kills those two.

((Hell Yeah!))

((When Sayaka transforms we see musical notes in her eyes, effects we’ve only seen when her powers are healing her physically, however her seeing the musical notes symbolizes how from this point on all Sayaka sees is the pain she’s in.))

In the next scene, Madoka comes across Kyubey while still in her process of trying to find Sayaka.

((Oh joy…))

Kyubey: I bet you’re upset with me aren’t you

((You have some nerve showing up to guilt trip her))

Madoka: If I was could you change Sayaka back?  
((If you make a contract with him, he could))

Madoka asks him if it’s true she could become an extremely powerful magical girl, and Kyubey says that she’d be the most powerful magical girl ever.

Madoka: If I had made a contract with you, would Sayaka still have chosen to become a magical girl?

Kyubey: Sayaka was responsible for her own wish; you had nothing to do with her decision.

((This is the only time I agree with anything Kyubey says, but the fact he’s only saying it to get Madoka to lower her defenses negates that.))

Kyubey tells Madoka that if she’s so powerful she could twist the fabric of the universe if she wanted to.

Madoka: I never thought there was anything special about me. I always thought I stumbled through life… never being any use at all. It was really frustrating and I felt alone, but I figured there wasn’t anything I could do about it.

Kyubey: But the reality is quite different, Madoka if you wished it, you could become the god of this world.

((This scene is very insidious on Kyubey’s end. Madoka is a 13-14 year old girl who is saying in all but the exact words that she’s emotionally vulnerable and desperately seeking a purpose in like. Hell she directly states that she feels useless. What does Kyubey say? You are the most special girl I’ve ever come across. I’ve never met anyone like you. **If you wished it** you could become a goddess. At this point in the series he’s not even trying to keep secret that anything the girls say he will use against them to get what he wants.))

Madoka: If that’s true would I do things that even you couldn’t do…. Could I turn Sayaka back to normal?

((I want that to happen as much as you do Madoka, but for the love of God don’t make a wish))

Kyubey: That would be child’s play for you. Would that be worth trading your soul for?

((The lamplights start shining as soon as he says this indicating that when you get down to the bare bones any word of comfort or validation is just a tool for his goal to make Madoka Kaname a magical girl.))

Madoka is about to make her wish when Homura stops time to put a dozen bullets in Kyubey’s body.

((HAHAHAHA YES!!! I know that that this is just temporary but God I’ve been waiting for this moment for the entire series. HAHAHAHA!))

Homura:( *Drops gun*)

((The most badass mic drop in television history))

Madoka: You didn’t have to kill him!

((Yes she did, it was beautiful.))

Homura: (* crying *) Why do you always sacrifice yourself? Stop treating yourself like you don’t matter. Why don’t you ever think about all the people who love you… There are so many people who’d be sad if you died…What about the people who are trying to protect you.

((Homura’s been waiting to say this for god knows how long. Madoka clearly doesn’t think highly of herself and is willing to give up everything including her soul to protect those who are dear to her. Homura, who wants to spare Madoka the both fates that plague all magical girls, and who values Madoka’s life dearly, is distraught over how cheaply Madoka views her own life when to Homura Madoka’s life means the world to her.))

After saying all this Homura is so overcome with emotion she collapses.

Madoka: I’ve got the feeling we’ve done this before. Is that true have the two of us met before?

((To quote Sayaka: You guys knew each other in a past life and fate has brought you together again.))

Homura tries but ultimately can’t tell Madoka everything, and Madoka is so freaked out by Homura’s seemingly out of character outburst she runs off to try to find Sayaka again.

Homura: Wait…Madoka!!

((So Madoka has run off leaving Homura crying alone. At least this scene can’t get worse.))

Kyubey shows up alive, uninjured, and eats the remains of his other self.

((I stand corrected.))

((The fact there are multiples of that thing is a fact you should not think about if you hate nightmares.))

Kyubey’s cool about the murder of his copy because now he knows Homura’s fighting technique.

((Homura looks slightly worried which in Homura speak means she’s crap her pants terrified that Kyubey has an upper hand on her.))

Homura tells him she knows all about him, something Kyubey’s interested in.  
Kyubey: Do you really want to change Madoka Kaname’s fate that badly?

((Have you been paying attention?))

Homura: I do, and I’ll do whatever it takes to stop you Kyubey…or should I say Incubator.

((Incubator: a thing that creates and manipulates an environment so eggs hatch. Makes sense considering the soul gems resemble eggs.))

Homura teleports out which makes way for a transition to a train station.

Sayaka is numb from attacking and/or killing those guys from the previous scene she was in. Kyoko arrives and sits next to Sayaka saying she’s been looking for Sayaka all over the city.

((Kyoko being here in this scene makes sense when you remember that she, like Sayaka was once an idealistic magical girl whose wish for someone else blew up in her face.))

Kyoko: So how much longer are you going to do the stubborn thing?

Sayaka: I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble.

Kyoko: Seriously, doesn’t sound like you at all.

((Kyoko, like Homura, isn’t the type to give out warm fuzzies. In her case, the interactions between her and Sayaka indicate if she does it would be condescending and disingenuous.))

Sayaka: I guess I just don’t care anymore. I can’t remember what I thought was so important, what was worth protecting. It’s all a blank now it doesn’t make sense anymore.

((In the end this is what ultimately brings Sayaka to despair. Her faith in protecting the world was systematically crumbled by Kyubey’s manipulations, her own standards of perfection that were impossible to hold up, and encountering some guys who manipulate women the same way Kyubey has, ultimately realizing the people she protected can be just as bad as the monsters she fights against.))

Kyoko tries to snap her out of her funk, only for Sayaka to reveal her blackened soul gem.

Sayaka: Balance means good and bad have to zero themselves out right. That’s what you said…the good thing is I did save a few people, but the bad thing is I got angrier and my heart filled up with envy and hate. It got so bad I even hurt my best friend.

((Hurting Madoka is one of Sayaka’s biggest regrets, and it’s painful how those two will never get closure until the very end.))

Sayaka: For all the happiness you wish for someone, someone else gets cursed with equal misery. That’s how it works for magical girls and that’s how it is for me.

((Sayaka only indirectly brings up Violin Boy once before she fully enters the Despair Event Horizon, and it’s more to emphasize the whole impact of what she’s going through. Her wish may have healed Violin Boy’s physical pain and given Sayaka the power to physically heal herself, but in return she neglected her emotional pain until through a traumatic series of events her emotions boiled over and her terrible reactions to those situations led to her no longer wanting help.))

Sayaka:I was stupid, so stupid

With one final tear her soul gem cracks and a burst of energy breaks forward. Kyoko is blasted by the huge gust of wind and screams Sayaka’s name while holding on to one of the bars of her chair.

Sayaka has transformed into a witch.

 

Kyubey: On this planet you call females who have yet to become adults “girls.” It makes sense then that since you’ll eventually become witches that you should be called “Magical girls.”

((Madoka Magica is hailed as a deconstruction of the magical girl genre, and I agree until point in the story. Most of the story’s deconstruction lies with how the girls are basically child soldiers who are getting their information from a creature that isn’t human and isn’t willing to follow their ethics. The transformation trinket holding the girl’s soul was an extension of that in how in order for a person to fight battles with monsters without armor you’d have to make some modifications to be able to withstand the blows you’d take in battle. Once it’s revealed that the monsters the girls fight were once magical girls themselves, the deconstruction flies out the window and is replaced with a horror story. Kyubey’s no longer a manipulative asshole that wants as many girls to make contracts with him as possible. Instead he’s a monster who creates the witches that plague humanity, and wants these girls to turn into witches as quickly as possible. This is the point where the story turns from a dark and gritty Cardcaptor Sakura to a story about how humanity is just cattle for whatever plan Kyubey has in store.))

Credits

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

Times I cried: 9  
Number of weapons Homura uses: 17  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 389


	9. Past the Point of No Return

Let’s recap: Sayaka has turned into a witch, Kyoko is stunned, and the audience is crying.

Kyoko looks around the witch’s barrier until she spots Sayaka.

((The original witch barrier is covered in a black and white checkered pattern and has train tracks and musical notes spilling outward from the main witch’s form. This is where the show’s witch designs are made clear that rather than an artistic style shift to look cool; they are symbolic aspects of what caused the magical girl to go into despair. In this case the train tracks represent Sayaka’s final descent to despair when she attacked those guys on the train and transformed at the station, to the black and white designs representing her viewing justice as a black and white issue for so long. I think we can all guess what the music notes refer to.))

Kyoko instantly transforms, dodges wheel weapons left and right, and holds onto Sayaka for dear life.

The witch, Oktavia Von Seckendorff, starts screaming in Sayaka’s voice.

((Sayaka’s soul gem burst in order to create Oktavia so the witch screaming shows that she’s not just a form of Sayaka, she **is** Sayaka))

Kyoko wants to know what Oktavia did with Sayaka until Homura shows up, blows up a few weapons, and holds hands with Kyoko to get the both of them out with Homura’s time powers.

((Homura’s inner monologue: I leave you alone for **5 minutes** and you’re bargaining with witches.))

((Also it’s cool how we see a bit of how Homura’s powers work. If another person or objects is connected to her it moves around with her while once she lets go it becomes a part of her surroundings.))

Homura gives Kyoko the sparknotes version of what just happened, and gives Kyoko a choice of either running while carrying Sayaka out of their or fighting a dropping “that useless baggage.”

Kyoko: Like Hell!

((Ooh…bad choice of words Homura, how would you react if someone called Madoka useless baggage? To quote a certain sadistic ba*tard: “I thought so.”))

Homura: You can’t fight and carry her; you’ll get us both killed.

((She’s right Oktavia’s a pretty powerful witch))

The girls leave the barrier and Oktavia heads to another location.

Credits!

Madoka has been looking for Sayaka for God knows how long, when she walks along the train tracks, eventually she meets up with Homura and Kyoko carrying Sayaka’s body.

Kyoko doesn’t want to explain what happened so Homura gives Madoka all the bad news, something Madoka refuses to believe.

Homura: This is the destiny, which no magical girl can escape.

Madoka drops to her knees lamenting how all Sayaka wanted was to become a magical girl so she could fight witches and protect people.

((A sentiment I also share))

Homura calmly says to Madoka that Sayaka’s fate is cursing as many people as she saved. Kyoko’s had enough of Homura’s lack of emotion and calls her out for saying those harsh words in front of Sayaka’s best friend. Homura doesn’t listen.

Homura: You understand now don’t you? The thing you wanted so much to be this is it. Oh and the body you brought along is your responsibility now, you better be careful getting rid of it though or it will cause problems later.

Kyoko: And you dare call yourself human.

Homura: Of course I don’t, neither should you.

((I can understand where Homura and Kyoko are both coming from. What Homura is saying, aside from that last quip, isn’t necessarily cruel they’re just the facts of this situation, however given how she most likely has given this spiel several times so the shock has become numb over time, something that Homura has subconsciously forgotten is that everyone else is experiencing this for the first time so Madoka is vulnerable on the fact that her best friend has turned into the monster she’s been fighting this whole time. Kyoko on the other hand does what to help, but the events that are happening are so beyond her comprehension and most of the time Kyoko’s been around Madoka, she’s been antagonizing Sayaka so Kyoko has no idea how to handle or comfort her so chewing out Homura’s bluntness is the best she can do at the moment.))

Cut to Madoka’s bedroom, where Kyubey shows up to be a d*ck.

Kyubey: May I come in? (Comes in before he gets an answer)

((Of course))

Madoka: That stuff Homura was saying is it true?

Kyubey: It’s true enough that I can’t deny it

((Translation: yes))

Madoka: So you turn us into magical girls so we become witches.

((Madoka is in the same boat as the audience, up until the revelation about the witches she’s been able to view the magical girl system as Kyubey contracting girls so they can fight evil in the world and removing one’s soul and possibly dying in battle are some unintentional consequences of making the contract, now with Sayaka turned into the very creature she wanted to protect the world from Madoka realized that Kyubey’s pretty words about how she’d be the greatest and most powerful magical girl was just that, pretty words designed to manipulate her into becoming part of his “turn magical girls into witches” plan.))

Kyubey: Please don’t misunderstand our intentions…everything we’ve done is to prolong the life of the universe.

((Ignoring the fact that your claim: “I did these horrible things to help you not hurt you” is literally abuser 101, let’s recap some of the things you did Kyubey: lied to the girls about the witches, didn’t tell them the conditions of the contract, when Sayaka chewed you out for ripping her soul from her body you **impaled her with a spear** , all the while claiming it was the girls’ faults for not being completely explicit in what they wanted.))

Kyubey says that the universe is decreasing in energy so the energy of magical girls was the best energy to replenish it. This is due to the Incubators creating a devise that transforms emotion into energy and since the Incubators don’t have emotions they sought out a species with a high amount of emotion.

((Ok… Whoa…. Hold up a sec…. So your species created a devise that would supposedly save the universe…and it didn’t require any sacrifice on the part of your species. That’s pretty damn convenient Kyubey. Why does the show never mention this fact again?))

Kyubey says that the most effective energy came from teenage girls, and when they hit peak despair and their soul gems burst it creates a large amount of energy. His job is to collect that energy

((So you deliberately chose young girls who don’t fully understand manipulation, are still pretty trusting, and are socialized to think of others wants and needs before their own. Honestly Kyubey your cover story is leaning more on condemnation than exoneration.))

Madoka: Is that what we are to you disposable? You want us to die for you and you don’t even care.

((Usually emotion is looked down on in media during arguments i.e. “you’re too emotional you can’t see how this will benefit everyone” however this show uses Madoka, who is the most emotional member of the cast, to show how easily Kyubey’s seemingly logical monologue is just a pile of manipulative bullsh*t that doesn’t really add up when you fully look at what he’s saying.))

Kyubey: Do you know how many civilizations there are in the universe?

((Well we know there’s yours since you stated the energy invention doesn’t have any negative effects on them. Seriously why is that never mentioned again?))

Kyubey: If you consider the long term this is a good deal for you and everyone else.

((Translation: Why won’t you just let me abuse teenage girls? God you’re being so unreasonable.))

Madoka: (crying) You think it’s ok for Mami to die and Sayaka to suffer for some crazy reason like that! That’s not right. That’s so mean.

((Like I said earlier about 13 year olds not fully understanding subtle manipulation, Madoka, even though she easily sees through Kyubey, doesn’t have the tools to fully name what he’s doing.))

Kyubey: But always make sure to ask for and make sure to receive your consent before making the contract.

(( **yasahuirhdshihuifb YOU MOTHERFU** …… you… don’t… tell the girls….anything about the conditions of the contract…. Sayaka was nearly beaten to death before she knew about her **own powers**. They didn’t know about the “soul not in body” thing until Sayaka’s soul was thrown off a bridge and only **after** that you though it great to tell them. And… oh yeah… you been keeping quiet about the fact that your species is **directly responsible for all the witches**.))

Madoka: But you do it by tricking us into it!

((Bingo!))

((Before I continue the commentary I feel I should add a more serious note due to Kyubey showing his true colors. In the real world there’s a thing called violation by deception (commonly known as rape by deception), which is referred to as “a crime in which the perpetrator has the victim's agreement and compliance (or consent), but gains it through deception or fraudulent statements or actions.” So if any one of my readers has been through a similar sounding situation please know they are Kyubeying you.))

Kyubey: We don’t understand this concept of “tricking you.” Why is it when humans regret a decision they made based on their own misunderstanding they feel resentment toward the other party?

Kyubey: We have a hard time understanding you humans and your value system too. With a current population of 6.9 billion…it’s a mystery why you would care so much about the loss of a tiny handful.

((…*deep sigh*… You know now I think it’s time to list some examples of gas lighting or “emotional abuse designed to make the victim believe the abuser regardless of their experiences of the situation.”  
Example 1: withholding, feigning a lack of understanding and refusing to listen, “I don’t understand this”  
Example 2: minimization, trivializing the feelings of the victim or the abuser downplaying their own actions.  
Signs you’re being gaslighted:  
1\. You know something is terribly wrong, but you can never quite express what it is, even to yourself.  
2\. You feel hopeless and joyless.  
3\. You find yourself withholding information from friends and family so you don't have to explain or make excuses.))  
Madoka: If that’s how you think about us then I guess you are our enemy.

Kyubey: I came here to try to explain ourselves to you. I was genuinely hoping you’d understand how much good humanity’s sacrifices have done for the universe I guess I wasn’t successful.

Madoka: Of course you weren’t

((There’s no way Madoka would be glad to hear about humanity’s sacrifices especially after that part where your species created the witch system, and your species never needed to make sacrifices. **Seriously why is this fact never mentioned again**?))

Kyubey: I still believe that one day, you’ll become the greatest of magical girls and then the worst of all witches…so if you ever feel like dying for the sake of the universe call me. I’ll be waiting.

((Those last two sentences are extremely callous point where he’s indirectly telling Madoka exactly how he thinks of her. Honestly I think Kyubey’s lying about his reasons for collecting the magical girls’ energy. Think about it, Kyubey still needs Madoka to make a contract with him and as we see later Madoka is so powerful that her witch form could wipe out a solar system so Kyubey still has a reason to keep his motives secret, and what better way to convince an all-loving-hero to join you than by telling her she’d be protecting the universe. However through the rest of the commentary I’ll be discussing his plan as though it really was true because honestly I’m terrified thinking about what other reasons Kyubey would want with enough energy to destroy a solar system.))

With Kyubey gone Madoka is able to cry in peace.

Cut to a hotel room filled with piles of food where Kyoko is using her soul gem to keep Sayaka’s body fresh. Kyubey is there because… *sigh* of course he is.

((Sayaka turning into a witch, though less visible about it than Madoka, devastates Kyoko. The food she eats in this scene is more than she’s eaten in the entire show.))

Kyoko: Is there a way to get her soul gem back the way it was?

((Kyoko hasn’t interacted with Kyubey in a nonviolent manner since episode 6, so asking Kyubey if she could bring Sayaka back means that Kyoko has grown to value Sayaka dearly.))

Kyubey: If there is a way, I’m not aware of it.

((I mentioned in chapter 3 how Kyubey set up the scenario for Mami’s death, and right now he’s planning to kill Kyoko in a murder-by-witch plot. The way he words this it implies that there is a way to turn Sayaka back human, something Kyoko picks up on.))

Kyoko: It looks like even you don’t have all the answers.

((Kyubey doesn’t tell any information unless his back is pinned to the wall so Kyoko is likely still unaware that Kyubey’s species invented the magical girl and witch system, so yes he would know everything related to the soul gems.))

Kyubey: The existence of magical girls defies logic.

((Kyubey: (internally) After all we designed it that way.))

Kyubey: I wouldn’t be surprised if you were capable of doing all kinds of amazing things.

((In other words he’s implying yes))

Kyoko: So it is possible.

((Oh Kyoko…))

Kyubey: It hasn’t happened before so I’m not really sure how you’d go about it. I wouldn’t advise it though.

((Reverse Psychology is a powerful tool.))  
Kyoko: *in between bites* Who’d ask for you advise now?

((Kyoko please, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, listen to Kyubey.))

Bags of empty food containers are shown next to her.

The next day Madoka and Hitomi are walking to school. Madoka is sick with grief and Hitomi is clueless.

Hitomi: Maybe we should go see how [Sayaka’s] doing. Although I don’t think she’ll be too happy to see me. Things have been a little awkward between us lately.

((I feel pretty bad for Hitomi. Both of her best friends are distancing themselves from her, and have been acting strangely for at least a couple of weeks and Hitomi doesn’t know why. Hell, the last time Hitomi saw Sayaka she told her, “Hey, I have a crush on that boy you like. If you don’t tell him, I’ll just try to date him. K thx bye.” One wonders what her reaction was to the events of episode 11…))

Kyoko telepathically asks Madoka to skip school so they can have a little heart to heart chat, something Madoka is more than happy to do.

The two meet in an empty alleyway.

((Through the girls’ conversation there’s an image of a unicorn wind chime pointing its horn at a mermaid wind chime, which is an interesting choice of forshadowing when you remember how Oktavia resembles a mermaid.))

Kyoko asks Madoka if she wants to save Sayaka, a question that piques Madoka’s interest.

Madoka: Do you think there’s a way?

Kyoko: If there wasn’t you just gonna leave her like that.

Madoka winces at that statement

Kyoko: That came out the wrong way, my bad.

((I like the way the show portrays Kyoko’s character development especially in this episode. For all the development to Kyoko’s personality the show still takes place in an extremely short time span, episodes 6-8 likely taking place over 4-5 days. Naturally Kyoko’s generally abrasive personality isn’t going to change completely but now she realizes when she steps over a line and either apologizes for it or tries to rephrase it in a less caustic way.))

Kyoko tells Madoka she still has hope Sayaka can be saved. Kyoko’s plan is to bring Madoka to the witch’s barrier and give an “I know you’re in there somewhere speech” and Sayaka will hear that, remember her humanity, and return back to normal.

Madoka: You think that will really work?

Kyoko: How the hell should I know? *Small laugh* Nobody knows that’s why I wanna try. What if when I cut that witch in half instead of getting the usual grief seed, what if Sayaka’s soul gem comes out of it instead? Wouldn’t that be something? It’d be like one of those stories where love and courage triumph and stuff.

((At this point the writers are just being cruel.))

Kyoko: The reason I became a magical girl was because I loved stories like those. I can’t believe I forgot that. And Sayaka was the one who reminded me.

((I think this is the primary force that drove Kyoko to first reach out to Sayaka in episode 7 and in creating this plan. Imagine when Kyoko was little she’d remember those stories when her father was excommunicated and shunned by most people when he’d give out his sermons. When Kyubey showed up for Kyoko it was a chance for her to put those ideas into action and use her love for her father to make everything end happily. Then everything turned to sh*t and Kyoko blocked out those memories because they became too painful for her. After finding out the truth about the soul gems in episode 6 she reached out to Sayaka because her motivations for fighting for justice and, yes, her love for a certain musician. After watching Sayaka loose her faith in humanity and witnessing Sayaka cross the despair event horizon it was like Kyoko was re-watching the downfall of her own life. When Kyubey implied there was a way to turn Sayaka back into a human, Kyoko felt hopeful for the first time in a long time that maybe things would finally work out at least once.))

((That hope is misplaced.))

Kyoko gives Madoka an opportunity to get out, but Madoka is determined to help even offering a hand in friendship.

((This is what I love about Madoka she has no powers and is told, “hey there’s a chance you might die,” but if there’s a chance she can help Sayaka, Madoka’s going to say “screw that, I’m going to help.”))

Kyoko gives Madoka a snack bar so they are officially friends.

Meanwhile Homura’s “Madoka’s in danger” senses are tingling so she leaves class ASAP.

Kyoko and Madoka begin their witch hunt, or witch befriend in this case, and Kyoko tells Madoka Homura’s not really fighting alongside Kyoko because they’re friends, they just teamed to fight Walpirgisnaucht when she arrives in a few days.

Kyoko finds the outside of the witch barrier and transforms before the two enter.

((…Was the nudity really necessary, she’s, like, 15.))

 

Kyoko offers Madoka one final out, but she’s rearing to go since she never was useful in witch fights anyway.

((*gives hugs*))

The girls enter the outer edges of the witch barrier.

((Oktavia’s witch barrier is more developed since it’s had more time to create itself and what we see so far are posters and symbols asking for love and attention.))

Madoka tells Kyoko she feels bad because people are always stooping in to save her because she has no powers of her own.

Kyoko immediately shuts that down, saying the job isn’t meant for everyone and Madoka shouldn’t give up everything if she’s not sure what she wants.

Kyoko: If you do this you’re putting your life in danger. The only people who should do this are ones who’ve got no other choice. Anybody else who just sticks their nose in it is just messing around…. but you never know right. Maybe there will come a time when your back comes against the wall and you’ll have to stand up and fight. If that day ever comes you can think about it then.

((I think this point of view is what shapes Madoka’s decision of whether or not to become a magical girl in the last couple of episodes. While the other girls expressed sentiments of “you should never become a magical girl” or “only wait until you have something to wish for.” Kyoko tells her to wait and see if being a magical girl is what she really wants, and if it is then she should wait until it’s right for her to make that choice to take action.))

The girls head further into the witch barrier.

((On the sides of Octavia’s corridor we see scenes of Sayaka hanging out with her friends and Kyoko but obstructed by musical notes and the scenes turn off when….))

Madoka is about to ask why Kyoko became a magical girl, when Oktavia hears them and pulls Madoka and Kyoko to the center of her barrier.

((Oktavia’s barrier once black and white is now red with fury; an orchestra of violin players that while they are playing to her, but never playing for her surrounds Oktavia, while Octavia herself is a giant mermaid with rusting armor and a broken down sword. Her screams no longer sound like Sayaka showing that whatever trace there was left of Sayaka, it’s now gone forever leaving only Oktavia in her place.))

Madoka tries enacting the plan asking if Sayaka can hear her voice.

Oktavia refuses to listen to Madoka and unleashes wheels for weapons. Kyoko uses her barrier to protect Madoka from Oktavia’s wrath while Madoka pleads for Sayaka’s soul.

Madoka: Sayaka please! I know you never wanted to hurt anyone. You said you wanted to be a hero remember. Please Sayaka turn back into your old self!

((We keep seeing a red pile of goop before Oktavia unleashes her attacks, implying that that thing is whatever is left of Sayaka’s soul.))

Oktavia unleashes several wheels on Kyoko, who tries to continue the plan despite the heavy amount of pain she’s going through.

((Kyoko knows that her life is now going to go in 2 directions either 1. She dies in battle or 2. She turns into a witch. The only way a girl can survive without becoming a witch is if there are enough witches, which means enough magical girls making contracts before turning into witches. The entire set up of Madokaland is one where there’s no hope, and whatever hope Kyoko had of dealing with that messed up system is slowly being crushed with each wheel hitting her.))

Maoka begs for Oktavia to stop hurting them hoping she’ll remember her friends; Kyoko meanwhile is loosing her resolve.

Kyoko: Oh I get what you’re doing this is payback isn’t it. Funny when we met we tried to kill each other then too.

((It’s been an eventful week.))

Kyoko expresses her admiration for Sayaka’s determination even when they were fighting, and mentally expresses how she understands how angry Sayaka was, wishing she’d go back to them. All the while a shadow play where Kyoko kisses Sayaka on the forehead and their bodies intertwine into what looks like blood.

((What is it with this show making me ship characters at the worst possible time?))

Oktavia slams Kyoko to the ground, and while Madoka tries to help Kyoko Oktavia grabs her. When Kyoko sees Oktavia nearly squeezing Madoka to death she starts edging toward the edge of despair.

Kyoko: (*desperately*) Come on you told me you believed in your power you said you were going to help people remember?

The labyrinth starts crumbling under them and Kyoko begs God to give her a happy dream after suffering so long.

((I think this is the closest we see Kyoko get to the despair event horizon.))

The music stops and Homura shows up just in time to gently set down Madoka. Kyoko has a new plan.

After seeing there’s no hope left for Sayaka and unintentionally putting Madoka in danger Kyoko puts up her barrier and tells Homura to leave with Madoka while she takes care of Oktavia.

Kyoko: You got to focus on the one thing that means the most to you and protect it to the end.

((Homura looks at Madoka while Kyoko says this, so Homura understands why Kyoko feels this strongly about Sayaka, because to Homura Madoka means everything.))

Kyoko: Funny I thought this whole time that’s exactly what I thought I was doing. Get out of here don’t worry I’ll take care of her.

((The way Kyoko dies is especially meaningful because she’s the only character, aside from Madoka, who chooses how to die after she becomes a magical girl. Mami’s death was a highly preventable accident, Sayaka thought she was going to die but ended up with a fate far worse, Kyoko meanwhile decides to go out while ending the suffering of a girl she grew to care deeply about.))

Kyoko: I know Sayaka it sucks to be alone. Believe me I know. But it’s ok now because I’m here with you. Sayaka.

An explosion bursts, and with that Kyoko and Oktavia die.

 

Back at Homura’s place Kyubey shows up and Homura asks is there was any way to save Sayaka.

Kyubey: Of course not, she should have known that was impossible.

((Compare that to him saying earlier to Kyoko asking the same thing: The existence of magical girls defies logic. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were capable of doing all kinds of amazing things.))

Homura: Why didn’t you try to stop her?

((You know why))

Kyubey: I would have stopped her if I thought her dying was pointless.

((f*ck you Kyubey))

He says that with Kyoko out of the picture Madoka’s easier to manipulate into saving the city from Walpurgisnacht, a plan Homura vows to not allow succeeding.

 

With the death of Kyoko all that’s left of the magical girl group and Kyubey’s manipulations are Madoka, Homura. And of Oktavia? A waitch who’s, unlike the mermaid from the Hans Christian Anderson tale, love for a boy ended up destroying her soul, all that’s left of her is a corpse of a girl once known as Sayaka.

Credits

Since the ending song is Kyoko and Sayaka’s image song I’ll provide the translated lyrics below:  
What does a heart encrusted in rust see  
in a still and soundless world?  
Looking for someone who looks like they can say, "I'll see you again",  
I only end up repeating this over and over again.

Once you take notice, there's  
the silhouette of someone's back, crying all alone  
In a heartrending,  
lonesome place.

I want to remain with my hand entwined in yours

 

I call out your name again and again  
Even if the future is uncertain  
It pains me just to think of what I can't let go  
I'm right here  
I'm right here  
You know there is always a place for you to return to, here

And that'll never change  
With these feelings that remain

Madoka Magica Series Talley:  
Times I cried: 11  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 768

Websites used in this review: “Gaslighing definition and techniques"

Wikipedia, “Rape by deception”


	10. If I Could Turn Back Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Analyze Madoka Magica I thought. You love this show I thought.

The flashback episode begins with Homura, who rather unlike the badass we’ve seen is a shy, sweet schoolgirl who’s anxious on her first day of school.

((A moment of silence for the Homura who has yet to experience years worth of suffering………))

Homura is rather frail from a heart condition, and due to that condition she doesn’t have much experience with socializing, easily getting overwhelmed when a group of girls ask her basic questions about herself.

Madoka butts in asking if Homura needs to go to the nurse offering to take her there if necessary. On the way to the nurse’s office Madoka easily makes conversation with Homura, saying the girls asking questions didn’t mean any harm and tries to ease Homura nervousness by asking if they can be on a first name basis. Madoka even tells Homura that her name is awesome and she should try to be as awesome as her name implies.

((And so Homura became the coolest character in the series.))

((Seriously thought, this is such a stark contrast from episode one. This is the most outwardly confident we’ve seen Madoka so far in the series, even in the first episode. It seems Homura’s wish didn’t just affect herself for the worst.))

Homura’s day just gets worse from there: the math teacher forgets she’s new and calls on her to do a hard problem in front of the class, got tired in gym from the warm-ups, and the other students are pitying her within earshot.

((Homura’s “I do everything all by myself” attitude didn’t spring up near the end timelines, rather it had its roots from the beginning. Homura’s heart condition likely made her a target for pity and so far only Madoka seems to expect much from her. Homura’s feelings of worthlessness and lack of belief she could do anything on her own caused her to develop the pride we see in later timelines.))

On the way home from school, Homura remembers what Madoka says to her but contradicts that saying that she’s useless and will always be that way. A witch starts feeding on those insecurities saying it would be better if she died.

((It seems the witches don’t plant the idea of suicide in their victim’s heads, but rather influence the victims to think that suicide is their best option.))

Homura realizes she’s trapped in a witch’s barrier, and before the familiars attack her, Mami and Madoka, now in magical girl uniform, show up to defeat the witch.

((YAYY!!! Mami’s here! I will enjoy your extra 3 minutes of screen time.))

Kyubey shows up ((BOOO!!!)) and explains what’s happening while the girls blow up the witch.

Madoka: Don’t tell anyone in class ok.

((Heeheehee ☺))

Back at Mami’s place, Madoka gives the sparknotes version of what she does, and even though she’s nervous she’s willing to fight in order to save as much people as she can.

((Look at Homura’s happy face as Madoka says this, that is the look of a girl who’s just developed her first crush.))

Mami says that she hopes to bring Madoka to a level where she can defeat Walpurgisnaucht.

Cut to 1 month later in the Walpurgisnaucht battle, Mami is dead and Madoka is the only hope for the city.

Homura doesn’t want Madoka to fight, afraid that she’ll die, and suggests they run away together.

((We’ve established that Madoka is one of the few people Homura can call a friend, so even in the first timeline Homura’s priorities lied with wanting Madoka safe.))

Madoka’s not having it, telling Homura that she will fight Walpurgisnaucht and that saving Homura was the best thing she’s ever done.

Madoka: Goodbye Homura. Take care.

Madoka fights Walpurgisnaucht and dies fighting all the while Homura is powerless to do anything.

Homura finds Madoka’s dead body and cries over her corpse declaring that Madoka saving her was worthless since Madoka herself is no longer alive.

Homura: (*sobbing*) I want you back!

((So what Homura wants more than anything is for Madoka to come back to life. If she just wished for that the events of the series wouldn’t exist so…))

 

Kyubey decides now is the perfect time to be a d*ck and asks Homura what she wishes for.

Homura: I wish I can meet Miss Kaname all over again, but this time instead of her protecting me I want to be strong enough to protect her.

((And here is where Homura’s wish backfires on her. Homura wants to save Madoka, however her illness has others seeing her as weak and helpless so what Homura wants more than anything else in the world is for Madoka to be alive and have it done in a way that makes Homura look as awesome as Madoka told her to be when the two first met. However, instead of wishing to **actually** save Madoka, Homura wishes to have the **ability** to save Madoka. This sets off a chain of timelines where even though Homura may have that ability, she is unable to **actually** protect Madoka the way she wants to.))

With the contract complete, Homura repeats her first day of school but with more confidence than the first timeline.

((This timeline always warms my heart in a bittersweet way. This is the timeline is the happiest we see Homura in the series, but it comes at the cost of knowing this is the start of her never ending timeline maze.))

Homura walks up to Madoka after making introductions holds onto her hands, and well…

Homura: Miss Kaname, I’ve become a magical girl just like you. We’re gonna work together from now on.

((Teehee seems Madoka’s don’t tell anyone in class ask is now a moot point.))

Now Homura shows off her fighting and magical abilities to Mami and Madoka, and fails in the most adorable way.

((This is so adorable and so unlike the badass I’ve been seeing Homura act until this episode, it makes me giggle every time I see it.))

Mami sees Homura’s potential for the time stopping powers, but wants her to work on utilizing them, so naturally Homura starts making bombs. Said bombs prove to be very effective fighting witches.

((God I would kill to look at Homura’s web search history))

Mami and Madoka are happy with Homura’s progress; with Madoka so overcome with joy that she starts nuzzling against Homura’s cheek, an action that Homura is more than happy is happening.

The joy of this timeline quickly ends when after defeating Walpurgisnaucht, Madoka turns into a witch after using up all her magic.

((Another thing about how horrifying the witches are is how you don’t even have to reach the despair event horizon to become one, all you need is one unlucky battle where you use more magic than you thought you had and then your soul turns into a inhuman monster.))

((This is unrelated but Madoka’s grief seed has a pick ribbon on it which is exactly like Madoka which is equally adorable, heartbreaking, and terrifying.))  
Homura enters her next timeline, where she decides to tell everyone about Kyubey tricking all of them.

Given Kyubey’s reputation as a cuddly, helpful, companion this goes as well as you’d expect. Sayaka is skeptical because there doesn’t seem to be any evidence Kyubey would gain from tricking the girls, and thinks Homura’s just trying to turn them against each other.

((I wonder what alien rabbit has been spreading that idea around.))

The conversation turns to Homura needing new weapons because of Sayaka’s limitations as a short weapons range user, so naturally Homura starts stealing guns from the mob.

((How do she even find the location of their organization? Google must be very informative in Madokaland.))

The first time Homura uses those weapons it’s to fight off Sayaka, now turned into Oktavia.

((Irony thou art a heartless bitch))

Homura: Sorry Ms. Miki

((This show’s writers are way too cruel.))

Realizing the truth about where the witches come from, Madoka and Kyoko are devastated while Mami looses her sh*t.

((The way Mami snaps is interesting because while her actions are sudden they’re also strategic. First she ties up Homura so she can’t use her powers and then kills Kyoko first so she can’t interfere. If Mami didn’t underestimate Madoka the show would have ended right here.))

Mami: (*crying*) If soul gems give birth to witches… then we have no choice but to die. Both me and you.

((This scene is especially hard because Mami’s tears of grief show that she genuinely believes this is a mercy killing, to her becoming a witch is the ultimate fate worse than death.))

Madoka shoots Mami’s soul gem before Homura is killed and Madoka can’t handle knowing the truth about the soul gems.

Madoka: I don’t want this! I can’t take it anymore!

Homura walks over and assures that the two of them can defeat Walpurgisnaucht together, something Madoka agrees with.

After that battle, the girls are on their last magic before the two become witches.

Homura: Do you have any grief seeds?

((Something tells me Homura wasn’t asking to save her own life.))

Homura asks Madoka if they could become witches together, having lost all faith in the world, Madoka still has faith the world can be a better place so she gives Homura a grief seed she’s been secretly hiding.

Madoka begs Homura to go back in time to save her from being tricked by Kyubey.

((With this, all of Homura’s determination to stop Madoka from making a contract with Kyubey starts falling in place.))

Homura: I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I’ll come back again and again! I’ll save you I swear!

Unfortunately Madoka doesn’t have a lot of time left and her final request is for Homura to shoot her soul gem, because she has faith in the world and faith that Homura will keep her promise.  
((And this is the reason Homura still has such a high regard for Madoka while Mami was kicked off her pedestal. While Mami and Homura herself have given up on the world and either wanting to kill the magical girls before turning into witches or wanting to become a witch herself, Madoka still sees the possibility that the world can become a better place because in her words “there’s so much worth protecting.”))

Homura reluctantly carries out Madoka’s request shaking the gun in her hands. With one flash of orange light Madoka is dead.

In the next timeline, the only thing stopping Homura from witching out is the promise she made to Madoka. Repairing her eyes, and undoing her hair braids, Homura has now refused to be the weak girl she was from the past timelines. The look she has in her eyes show her soul has faded, killing Madoka has now destroyed whatever joy Homura had from being able to see her again

Homura kills Kyubey before her first day of school, and walks up to Madoka’s bedroom to cryptically warm her about things offering her wishes.

Homura: Don’t believe anything they say

Madoka: Uh…but I…

((Poor Madoka she sounds so… small. The confidence we’ve seen from her in previous timelines was due to Madoka having more confidence because she had the ability to help people like she always wanted to. What Homura wished for was a role reversal between the two where Homura would save Madoka instead of the other way around. Homura got that wish in the worst possible way with Madoka becoming weaker in each timeline due to loosing that confidence and, on top of that, feeling powerless witnessing Kyubey manipulate those she cares about and is unable to do anything about it.))

Homura vows to work alone to destroy every witch in town by herself and steals the entire f*cking military to accomplish that.

Now the show transitions to where the prologue began, with Homura fighting Walpurgisnaucht, and she’s not looking good.

Homura looks down and sees Madoka looking at and frightened for her, Homura begs Madoka not to make a contract with Kyubey, but in parallel to the prologue Madoka can’t hear what she’s saying so it looks like she’s screaming for help. The scene ends with Homura screaming in horror after seeing Madoka create the contract.

((At this point in the episode, Homura is screaming what the audience is thinking, but what is nightmare fuel inducing is how when witnessing this for the first time in episode one this whole scenario played out like Madoka accepting her destiny to become a hero and save the world, but now that we along with Homura know the truth about magical girls and witches we see the situation for what it really is, an alien f*cker manipulating a teenage girl for his plans to use humanity as a tool for energy, and she’s just a blip on his radar of the unknown number of people he’s killed in order to accomplish that.))

The next scene shows Kyubey taunting borderline taunting Homura about Madoka turning into a witch after destroying Walpurgisnaucht with a single shot. Madoka is now the strongest magical girl and the strongest witch.

Kyubey: … I estimate that it will take no more than 10 days for her to destroy the planet. Oh well, it’s humanity’s problem now. We pretty much filled our quota and have more than enough energy.

((Remember how in the last episode he said his people were the ones who created the witch system. …… Words cannot express how much I hate that little monster.))

Homura travels back in time the second Kyubey figures out her power, bringing us back to the confrontation we saw between Homura and Madoka in episode 1.

Homura vows internally that she’ll relive that timeline as much as she can to save Madoka

Homura looks sadly at Madoka holding Kyubey knowing that it will most likely be one more unsuccessful timeline.

Homura: (*internally*) Madoka, my one and my only friend.

Madoka: (*looking at Homura as though she’s the cruelest person in the world*) Homura

Homura gasps in horror and steps back, but quickly regains her stance and walks toward Madoka.

Homura: I don’t care because if it’s for you I’ll stay trapped in this endless maze forever.

((It’s at this point, Homura realizes the unintended consequences of her wish. Homura started out as timid girl who never got close to anyone. Madoka saved her life and the two got to know each other in a more personal way. Over the timelines they’ve grown apart to the point where the two barely interacted but up until now Homura could take it. Now Homura realizes that from Madoka’s perspective **she’s** the monster not Kyubey. To her Homura’s the one who’s willing to intimidate, harass, and show little to no regard for others. And to an extent she is right, and Homura knows this. While Homura has shown some attachment to the other girls and she does want to keep them alive and is willing to do anything to save Madoka, Homura is willing to intimidate others including Madoka herself into accomplishing this goal, and if the others die but Madoka is alive and hasn’t made a contract with Kyubey she’ll consider that the best timeline. The worst part is Homura knows this is true, and is horrified by the implications of that, but she promised Madoka in a different timeline that she’d stop her from being tricked by Kyubey and Homura is more than willing to do anything in order to keep that promise. To Homura Madoka is brave, selfless, and saw the world as a place worth protecting at a point most people would want to destroy it. To Homura, Madoka is a bright light in a world that has been cold for countless timelines, and she’ll be damned before she allows her light to be snuffed out.))

Credits!

Translated credits

Every time I stop and stumble and doubt in darkness  
I close my eyes and think back to you  
I made a vow a promise to carry onward  
I’ll see it through

When I was young the sky shone clear and bright and blue  
and I’d smile through every day knowing that all my  
dreams would come true  
now that I’ve grown that sky fades dark and disappears  
and the future I once dreamed is mostly now doubts and fears

Then you came to me took me by the hand  
And the strength you shared helped me  
To rise and stand  
Let the clocks tick by let the  
Days fade away cause I found the path  
My heart will walk today.

Now my heart’s alive and racing  
Towards the future there’s no doubt  
That could dare hold me back  
I am gonna fight in forward into  
That blue sky boundless and bright  
I still pray and hope that one-day  
We’ll be together  
I’ll fight onward and see you again my friend

I won’t stop until the end I won’t give in.

Tomorrow’s looking bright….

Madoka Magica Tally Series Total:

Times I cried: 12  
Number of weapons Homura uses: 24  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: 978


	11. Just here for Walpurgisnaucht

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madoka Magica: come for the magical girls stay for the existential crisis.

So Kyubey shows up at Homura’s apartment being his usual d*ckish self saying he knows everything about her powers, and says, “Hey it’s your fault Madoka’s so powerful.”

Apparently due to a magical girl’s powers tying into her karmic destiny the multiple timelines Homura created for the sole purpose of Homura saving Madoka’s life and later stopping Madoka from making a contract, led to Madoka gaining more magical potential, and thus more motive for Kyubey to “persuade” Madoka to make a contract with him.

((This ties into the show’s theme of how the girls’ wishes backfire not necessarily because of the wish themselves but rather than the exact way these wishes are carried out. If Homura had just wished to bring Madoka back to life, then (if Madoka never turned into a witch) Homura would have suffered far less since her wish would help Madoka, if only for a while, however because she wished to go back in time to save Madoka, it created the magical equivalent of shooting oneself in the foot. Because with her actual wish, until now Homura was able to handle the consequences because she was under the assumption that it only negatively affected herself, but now she’s cursed with the knowledge that her wish is hurting Madoka just as much if not more.))

Kyubey: Excellent work Homura, you’ve made Madoka the most powerful witch ever.

((Words cannot express how much I hate you))

Credits!

((Fun fact: In the blue ray commentary the Japanese actress who played Homura said the opening has a high number of “happy dreams.” Given how the theme can be interpreted from Homura’s point of view the theme number images of Madoka being happy and having fun could represent what Homura desires. ))

((Side note: it could also explain why there are two naked Madokas during that one little theme segment, thus representing some other things Homura…. uh… desires.))

The muggles of Madokaland have now found Sayaka’s corpse and a funeral is held.

After Madoka returns home, her mom gently asks if she knew anything about Sayaks’s death, Madoka denies knowing anything.

((One thing that always stands out or me is a little droplet of rain falls from a household appliance in the same manner Sayaka shed a tear before her soul gem turned into a grief seed.))

A close up is shown on Madoka’s mother showing she doubts Madoka’s denial.

 

Madoka goes to her room and expresses her shock of Kyoko and Sayaka’s deaths from episode 9.

((What makes this heartbreaking for me is how Madoka doesn’t cry during the funeral or during this scene until Kyubey shows her the fates of all the other magical girls. She’s had three of her friends die and she has no idea how to handle that.))

Kyubey immediately poofs into her room

((What I like about the show’s handling of Kyubey’s coming into Madoka’s room is reflective how he treats the girls’ boundaries. At first he only comes into Madoka’s rooms with herexplicit consent but over time he treats Madoka’s lack of an answer as a yes until finally he forgoes asking entirely and acts as though he has a right to enter her room. It’s a very subtle detail but it definitely ties into the Kyubey is an abuser analogy.))

Kyubey says, hey the girls were gonna die so you win some you loose some, an attitude Madoka does not agree with.

Kyubey: Do you feel any guilt or remorse for the livestock you consume?

((Thus begins the monologue where we start to really see just how Kyubey truly views humanity.))

So Kyubey ENTERS MADOKA’S BRAIN WHAT THE F*&K IS WRONG WITH YOU!… *ahem* anyway so after…ugh… *that* happens Madoka tells him to stop but…

Kyubey: Your reaction isn’t very rational. If you don’t like the things you just saw just now I’m afraid you’re missing the big picture.

((I think she’s more upset about the mind r*pe you sick f*&k))

So Kyubey **continues** probing into Madoka’s brain

Kyubey: Humans chose livestock to be food in exchange they are fed, allowed to reproduce, and protected from predators all their lives. [Livestock] have a much higher rate of survival in captivity. So the relationship is mutually beneficial.

((Yeah but humans take care of and fatten livestock so we can eat them. And when we discovered how much efficient slaughterhouses can be we cooped up animals in cramped spaces in order to get what we needed from them, remember Kyubey when you said the witch system was the most efficient system of collecting energy.))

Madoka: Is that how you see us?  
Kyubey: On the contrary… we acknowledge your species as a sentient one and try to deal fairly with you.

((Hahahahahahaha. Oh god it’s been so hard since I’ve laughed watching this show.))

Kyubey: Don’t you believe me?

((You’ve been lying to her the entire season so no.))

Kyubey starts talking about the history between Kyubey’s species and magical girls. Madoka is so horrified by the images he shows her that she curls up in the fetal position crying for him to stop, but Kyubey continues this mental torture.

Madoka: They trusted you and you betrayed them.

Kyubey. We weren’t the ones who betrayed them. Their wishes did that.

Kyubey goes on to say wishes can’t exist because everything in the world has to balance out.

Kyubey: If they think that’s some kind of betrayal they shouldn’t have made the wish in the first place.

((Translation: How dare you suggest that my lying (which led to the death of at least one magical girl), physical assault, and general crushing middle school girls’ self esteem is my fault. It’s their own for listening to me in the first place when I said they could get any wish they wanted while I conveniently left out any possible side effects from making that wish.))

Kyubey questions why if the majority of humans benefit from the witch system why should the fate of a few magical girls bother her.

((One thing Kyubey never mentions again after the reveal of where the witches come from is the fact of how witches can cause the deaths of up to millions considering witches can create natural disasters, so no the witch system doesn’t just affect a small number of girls.))

The experience with Kyubey leaves Madoka in an emotional wreck and asks him: “ You spent all that time with them. Didn’t you ever try to understand?”

Kyubey: If we were capable of comprehending such things we wouldn’t have come to your planet in the first place. Our species considers emotion to be a mental disorder.

((Kyubey, your species has lived on the earth for thousands of years. Even you are capable of basic pattern recognition since your species chose humans specifically of their emotional responses. Just now when you entered Madoka’s mind she told you **several times** to stop but you refused to listen to her and blamed her for the discomfort you were giving her. You even tailored your methods of creating the contracts to make the experience worse for the humans involved so your “I don’t understand feeling” crap is line isn’t going to cut it.))

Madoka: So if your kind had never come to earth then…

Kyubey: The truth is you humans would most likely still be living naked in caves.

((Translation: I’ve done everything for you and you repay me by being disrespectful?))

((Also, God just think of the implications of that line. Kyubey is saying that everything humanity has accomplished is directly tied to him and his people. He thinks that humans are incapable of doing anything, and if there is one thing we can take away from this whole discussion it’s that he really does think the girls are lower than livestock.))

Cut to a bar where Madoka’s mom and teacher are drinking and talking about the events involving Sayaka and Madoka.

((What’s heartbreaking about this scene is how we know about the events that have happened over the past month but muggles like Madoka’s mom and teacher are only able to catch small glimpses of the terrors the girls have been going through. The line “they told us one of the ninth graders went missing,” tells us what they know. We know that ninth grader was Mami and she was killed by a witch and by extension Kyubey, but no one other than Madoka will know that because everything involving the witch system leads those who know about it feeling so isolated and the general lack of knowledge muggles have about witches means they can’t communicate any of the death or misery surrounding it.))

teacher: I heard that Sayaka was having some problems with a friend over a boy. [Hitomi’s] taking this pretty hard too. This is something that usually passes after a little heartache, but instead it turned out this way.

((And here we have it. Being a teenager can be hard enough. You face heartaches, loose and gain friends, realize the world is more complicated than you once believed in, and deal with the normal responses and anxieties of growing up and wondering how you’re going to live the rest of your life. You face those heartaches and hopefully you heal from and learn something from those experiences when you look back on them. However when your in the middle of those issues they are literally some of the worse moments of your life, and the witch system uses those miseries that are typical of being a teenager for the benefit of a creature that thinks of you as livestock. And if you make a contract, you don’t see those consequences until it’s too late and the people around you will never know what happened.))

 

Teacher: How’s Madoka taking it?

Mom: My gut tells me she knows more about this than she’s saying, She’s not telling me but she’s not lying… She hasn’t been acting like herself lately. I can tell there’s something heavy on her mind and usually she’d come talk to me about it.

((Even without witches this is just…wow. All Madoka’s mom knows is Madoka has been spending a lot of time late out at night and had a conversation with her about “a friend” who was doing something right but suffering for it. Over time Madoka became more distant and now Sayaka, Madoka’s best friend, is dead and another middle schooler is missing. She knows Madoka is suffering from something but Madoka feels like she can’t tell her mom anything about it. It’s a good thing the series never had an episode from the mom’s point of view because I don’t think the fans could handle that.))

teacher: All Madoka needs right now is a little time to get a handle on her feelings. Just be patient she’ll come around

Mom: But it’s so hard because I feel so helpless.

((This is a tough spot for anyone to be in, and it brings to mind the “you can do nothing or you could do something” talk from episode 6. Madoka’s mom feels like if she doesn’t do anything then Madoka will just get worse, but now she feels that if she does anything then Madoka will get defensive and run off to the thing that’s causing her the trouble in the first place. It really drives home how despite her being an awesome parent, Madoka’s mom is still human and even she has doubts about how to handle things.))

Back at Homura’s apartment, Madoka shows up wanting to talk to her.

((Homura: *internal screams of joy*))

Madoka sees all of Homura’s preparations for fighting Walpurgisnaucht, telling Homura what Kyoko told her back in episode 9. Homura honestly tells Madoka that because of that witch the entire city is screwed more than a black person in a horror movie.

Madoka: You’re going to need someone’s help to beat it. What if I…

((I think that Madoka knew she would definitely make a wish, the only problem was deciding what to wish for that would give her what she truly wanted. What she wasn’t counting on was…))

Homura: I can handle it by myself. I can certainly defeat Walpurgisnaucht on my own.

((As we have seen in various timelines, no Homura you cannot, Homura’s doing a serious version of the “it’s only a flesh wound” bit.))

Madoka: (*tearing up *) I want to believe you I do. I don’t know why but I guess I don’t want to think you’d lie to me.

((Given that awful scene you had with Kyubey earlier in the episode that’s very understandable.))

Madoka: (*tears rolling down her face*) But I don’t think you’re being honest with me right now. And I don’t think you’re going to be all right on your own.

((Cue Homura feeling like sh*t))

Homura looses whatever composure she had left runs to hold Madoka in her arms the way she wanted to for so long. Homura confesses everything: She’s from a different timeline, spending countless timelines trying to save Madoka. She tells Madoka that even though Madoka doesn’t know Homura well, Madoka means everything to her and regrets how the more she goes through that month the more the two of them grow apart, and no matter how hard she tries nothing works and Homura no longer knows what to do.

Homura: I will save you. That’s the one thing I wished for. That’s how it started. That’s the only thing I have left to guide me. And it’s ok if you don’t understand anything I’m saying, but please, please let me protect you.

((Kyubey told Homura that Madoka’s fate would just get worse every time Homura reset the timeline, and given how much more powerful Madoka’s witch form grew over episode 10, it seems Kyubey’s telling the truth. Homura knows that she basically has one last shot to make this right, and since her determination is the only thing keeping her from falling into despair Homura knows that if she doesn’t succeed she’ll turn into a witch. Now with nothing to loose she tells Madoka everything she feels in the hopes that she’ll understand, and asks Madoka to let Homura protect her because she’s grown to love Madoka after fighting for her for so long, and now if she does fail at least there will be one thing she doesn’t regret.))

The entire city evacuates to the storm shelters, Homura prepares for her fight, and Madoka’s worried about Homura.

Homura’s at the river mentally preparing herself for a fight and Walpurgisnaucht finally arrives.

Thus leads to one of the coolest fights in anime history. Homura has stolen the fu*king military so now she has bombs, machine guns, and time on her side while Walpurgisnaucht has literally the entire city at her disposal. The music is the icing on the cake

Things start looking good for Homura, but just as it seems she’s won Walpurgisnaucht comes back with a vengeance showing she has the powers from other witches in addition to her own.

Things getting worse at the storm shelter so Madoka leaves her family to talk to Kyubey.

((That sentence got worse with every word.))

Madoka: Do you think Homura’s going to defeat it by herself?

Kyubey: If I told you no what difference would it make? You wouldn’t believe me.

((Well people don’t trust liars.))  
Kyubey: Explanations are pointless now. If you want to know you should go for a look, see for yourself how Homura Akemi is doing against Walpurgisnaucht.

((Oh great idea Kyubey, just go outside in the middle of that death trap.))

Madoka asks if Kyubey knows why Homura’s so stubborn, and he tells her that Homura hopes that she’ll be able to change Madoka’s fate for the better despite all the horrible things she’s gone through. It’s gotten to the point where Homura can’t give up because now if Homura admits that there’s absolutely no way that she can save Madoka then she’ll immediately turn into a witch, a fact Homura herself knows is true.

Madoka: So you’re saying as long as she thinks there’s hope she’s doomed.

Kyubey: That’s right. Just like it was for all the past magical girls. Remember, Madoka, you’ve seen it.

Kyubey teleports away while Madoka cries, remembering all the girls she’s seen fall into despair.

Madoka: (*crying*) But… but…but…

Madoka wipes the tear from her eyes, looks determinedly into the camera, straightens up and goes to walk to Homura.

((Lords, Ladies, and Gentlenbies’s Madoka finally decided on her wish.))

Madoka’s mom, whose name was established as Junko in the previous scene, sees this and understandably doesn’t want her daughter to go outside in a natural disaster.

Junko: Where do you think you’re going huh?

Madoka: Mom, I have to go outside. To save a friend

((Madoka still feels she can’t tell her mom anything about what’s happening to her, so now she has to get her mom to believe in her judgment enough to understand she’s doing the right thing.))

Junko tells Madoka the fire department will handle everything and she slaps Madoka when Madoka tells her otherwise.

((Ok from Junko’s perspective Madoka is heading into an **extremely** dangerous situation, to save one of her friends, when just a few days ago Sayaka was found dead because of “mysterious circumstances,” so the slap was more of a “Will you come to your senses child?))

Junko calls out Madoka for acting recklessly, something Madoka acknowledges herself.  
Madoka tells her mom she understands how much her family cares about her, and she has to be careful for her sake as well as theirs. But now she has to leave because her love for them means she has to protect them for reasons she can’t divulge. The only way she can protect them is if her mother lets her go that second.

Junko asks if Madoka can tell her what all this is about, and says she will go with Madoka if that’s the case.

Madoka tells her mom to stay with the rest of the family to make sure they’re safe.

Madoka: You told me once that you did a good job of raising me and you’re right you did… I need you to trust me now. I need you to trust that I’m doing the right thing.

Junko asks if anyone’s lying to her or trying to trick her.

((Oh someone was, but not anymore.))

Junko gives her daughter a little push, Madoka tells her “I love you” and Junko watches her daughter go down the stairs and outside.

It’s the last time those two will ever talk to each other.

((I’m very conflicted about this scene. I know it’s meant to symbolize Junko’s faith in  
Madoka that she’s capable of handling herself and trust that she’s doing the right thing. That in addition to Madoka really needing to go, and all things considered Madoka leaving is the right decision. However every time I watch it I think to myself, “Good Lord woman young girls are going missing and dying and your daughter is asking to go outside in the middle of a tornado, hurricane or whatever the f*ck natural disaster Walpurgisnaucht is masquerading as, and you’re just going to **let her**?”))

Homura is trying and failing to beat Walpurgisnaucht, noticing it’s heading to the evacuation center, then she’s hit by an actual building and some concrete debris traps her foot.

((Ok soul in body or not that has got to hurt.))

Homura asks herself why she keeps failing no matter how much she tries and realizing Madoka will just have a worse fate if she resets the timeline and all her attempts to save Madoka were pointless, causes her to loose whatever hope she had left just like Kyubey said would happen.

Just as Homura is about to accept her fate of becoming a witch, Madoka clasps Homura’s hand in hers gently saying Homura’s done more than enough for her.

Homura begs Madoka not to make a contract when she sees Kyubey pop up beside Madoka.

Madoka: Homura, I am Sorry.

Credits

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

Times I cried: 13  
Number of weapons Homura uses: 100  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: So many times I lost count

 

Bonus:

“As long as she has hope she’s doomed,” Madoka thought. The images Kyubey had shown her of all the magical girls falling into despair raced through her mind instantaneously.

“None of this would have happened if the incubators hadn’t come to earth,“ she thought wiping tears from her eyes, “but what if he was right and the universe is loosing energy, if

getting rid of magical girls really will doom the universe.” She couldn’t wish to have their sacrifices be in vain. She thought of Mami who died never knowing how horrible Kyubey

really was, of Sayaka who wanted to help a boy she loved only to suffer until the end, of Kyoko who died just so Sayaka wouldn’t suffer alone, and finally of Homura who devoted

herself to save Madoka from a fate she still didn’t fully understand. “If they had hope they were doomed, that is part of the witch system. I refuse to let this world punish

hope.” Madoka finally knew what to wish for.


	12. Oh my Goddess!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Analyze Madoka Magica," I thought. "It will be fun," I thought.

So Madoka finally decided on her wish, and Homura’s not happy about it because she’s convinced Madoka will share the same fate as all previous timelines. Madoka gives Homura a comforting hug, thanking her for traveling through so many times and Homura’s the reason she is the person she is that day.

Madoka: I really want this; it’s the answer I’ve been looking for. I promise I won’t ever let your efforts be in vain Homura.

((Madoka’s accepted that whatever fate her wish will bring won’t be kind, and right now she’ll tell Homura everything she feels about her. The entire reason Madoka is making this wish is because she believes that hope makes the world better, instead of being the cause of despair so she’s telling Homura, “It’s ok, I know what I’m doing, your hope for saving me won’t be in vain.”))

Kyubey assures Madoka that any wish she makes will come try, and just as he’s about to do his happy dance Madoka tells him that her wish is to “eliminate all witches past, present, and future before the witches are born.” Madoka demands that Kyubey grant her wish saying she won’t let any magical girl suffer the fate of being a witch and if she’s violating the laws of the universe then she’ll just rewrite those laws.

((This is the most confident we’ve seen Madoka throughout the series, she knows what she wants and is willing to accept the consequences. She’s found a way to save the girls who made contracts without unintentionally dooming the universe. Part of the reason the witch system is so messed up is because all the Kyubeys have to collect energy by making the girls cross the edge of despair, so naturally Kyubeys are willing to lie about anything in order for that to happen. If Madoka is able to erase witches before they’re created then even if the earth is loosing energy, then the Kyubeys will need to try more honest methods in order to collect that energy.))

Kyubey: (*translation*) Holy Shit! I’m screwed!

A flash of light appears and Madoka is back at Mami’s apartment. Mami warns her that Madoka will no longer exist as a person and her sole purpose is to eliminate witches and that fate will last for an eternity.

Madoka: I’m ready. If someone ever tells me it’s a mistake to have hope, well, then, I’ll just tell them they’re wrong and I’ll keep telling them ‘til they believe. No matter how many times it takes.

((It’s fitting how Madoka will never exist in that world because she is too good for it. She will create a new Madokaland, a Madokaland that is worthy of her name.))

Kyoko shows up ((Yay)), and says, “Hey is you know what your reason to fight is and you got it figured out why the hell not.”

((Very appropriate for the girl who said, back in episode 9, to only become a magical girl when you found what to fight for.))

Mami gives Madoka back her sketch notebook, and tells Madoka she’ll become hope itself.

((The first time I watched this series I questioned how Madoka’s world is that much different from the original world, after all we see later in the episode that magical girls still die or disappear and then I realized that in this scene Mami and Kyoko appear but not Sayaka. Then I remembered Kyoko and Mami died in battle but Sayaka turned into a witch. Sayaka didn’t die; her soul turned into the embodiment of evil and was destroyed. No chance of happiness in an afterlife, she just entered pure despair mode and was then was gone. That is the true fate of witches; they leave from the universe rarely even leaving a corpse behind. That is the fate Kyubey knew when he kept asking Madoka if her wish was worth trading her soul for.))

Madoka transforms into her personally designed pink outfit, and defeats Walpurgisnaucht with a single arrow. We also get a montage of Madoka going to various magical girls around the world and saving them before they turn into witches, allowing the girls to die in peace.

Madoka: Don’t worry; I won’t let your wishes end in despair. None of you have to hate anyone or curse anyone. I’m here to take on that burden for you. So please keep believing in yourselves until the very end.

Madoka: (*To Walpurgisnaucht*) Don’t worry, I’ll go back to before you turned into this and take the burden of all your pain.

((Madoka died for Kyubey’s sins))

Homura wakes up in a desolate area, presumably the moon, and Kyubey tells her that the universe is reorganizing due to Madoka’s wish, and Kyubey’s evil self goes on about, “oh isn’t it just terrible how Madoka now is burdened with the weight of the world it’s her fault the universe is destroyed,” and given how Homura’s now seeing Madoka’s witch form she’s not inclined to disagree with him.

 

((Homura is distraught; she’s now seeing Madoka turn into a witch and now with no time travel powers because of her missing shield she’s now powerless to do anything about it. She thinks that Madoka has suffered the same fate she wished to save all the other girls from however this proves not to be the case.))

((A fun fact about Madoka’s witch form; apparently her witch is named Gretchen. In the Faustian legend the character Gretchen was the one who brought salvation to Faust, thus saving him from damnation.))

Madoka appears in goddess form saying to Homura that she wouldn’t have to worry about becoming a witch because she wished to erase all witches.

((And here is where Madoka was able to take Kyubey’s “literal genie” approach to granting wishes and use it in her favor. As we’ve seen through the wishes of Sayaka, heal my crush’s hand, and especially Kyoko, let people listen to my father, the girls used wishes as an indirect means of getting what they truly wanted, Kyoko a happy home life and Sayaka to be noticed and loved. Their wishes ended in disaster because neither of those wishes was meant to give the girls their true goal but rather to give them a short sighted solution to long-term desires. When Madoka wished to eliminate all witches past present and future that was exactly what she wanted with no hidden desires, and because of the way her wish was worded it means that even if she does carry some burden from her wish, she will still have hope which is directly related to what she wishes for.))

Madoka summons her bow and arrow and destroys her own witch form with a single shot.

((I choose to interpret that as Madoka saying a subtle “F*ck you Kyubey))

Madoka’s fate is to be removed from the world, no one not even her friends or family ever having memories of her and she will ascend to a higher plane of existence as a concept without even a physical body. A fate Madoka is ok with but Homura isn’t.

((I can understand why Homura is against Madoka never existing in the universe, aside from her person, “I’ll never get to see Madoka again.” Madoka has done what is probably the most selfless and bravest act in the history of the world and no one will know about it. She was willing to give up her own self in order to save the souls of magical girls and by extension the lives of magical girls who fight witches and the lives of humans who are killed and possessed by witches. Madoka has saved countless lives and to Homura, the reward Madoka gets is to be forever alone with no one to care about her in return.))

Madoka shows up to comfort Homura thus starting the heartwarming naked lesbian space hugs scene.

Madoka goes on about how she’s happy because now she gets to see the entirety of the world from beginning to end, and all the universes past, present, and future. She knows she’ll never be alone because she has the memories of her with her family and friends plus the knowledge of how much Homura sacrificed for her.

Madoka: For all that’s happened you truly were my very best friend.

((Meanwhile, Sayaka: What the hell Madoka!?))

However none of this comforts Homura who is terrified that Madoka will spend an eternity alone, and with Madoka now only a concept in the new universe Homura’s additionally worried that she’ll never remember Madoka.

Madoka tries to sway Homura otherwise but gives Homura her iconic red ribbons as a memento just in case.

Madoka has to leave to take care of the other magical girls and sends Homura back to Earth, Homura begs her not to go before reluctantly being pulled out of Madoka’s plane of existence.

((This scene shows the primary conflict between Madoka and Homura. Madoka is an incredibly selfless person but that’s a double-edged sword because as much as she comforts Homura she doesn’t understand how even if you are doing the right thing the people you love might not always agree with your decision. Homura meanwhile has used her love for Madoka to motivate her decision to protect her through multiple timelines and that love has developed into an almost, at this time, obsession, and it’s because of her love for Madoka that she doesn’t want Madoka to go and no amount of comforting is going to change the amount of grief she feels over never seeing her again.))

The scene changes and now we see Violin Boy at an audition.

((oh yay *eye roll* just the character I wanted to see.))

He auditions with the song Ave Maria which is the same song that was playing when Sayaka said was the happiest moment of her life.

((Well if I wasn’t crying before I certainly am now.))

Madoka brings Sayaka to this audition apologizing to her because if she wants to save Sayaka then she’d have to erase her wish something she doesn’t want to do.

Madoka: your wish was a precious gift and you sacrificed so much for it. I have to honor it respect it because it wasn’t meaningless. So…

((I love this because right here Madoka is subtly giving Sayaka a choice: she can undo the wish so Sayaka can live a normal life or Sayaka can make her wish and live with the consequences of that wish, but because she cares for Sayaka she doesn’t undo the wish without her consent but rather tells Sayaka that “if the wish does happen your life will be over, but I also want you to see what joy your wish will bring if you do make your wish because I respect what you wanted”.))

((On the other hand: SAYAKA PLEASE NO! HE’S NOT WORTH IT!))

Sayaka: I’m ok with that.

((I’m not))

Sayaka: I don’t have any regrets anymore.

((Why show! Why!))

The only thing bothering Sayaka is Violin boy’s relationship with Hitomi, but because the girls are friends she’ll let it slide.

((I kind of feel bad for Hitomi, we’ve only seen her interact with Sayaka and Madoka through the series and now Madoka is erased from existence and Sayaka is now dead she’s pretty much lost both her best friends.))

Sayaka: (*As tears are rolling down her face*) I’m sure the two of them will be very happy won’t they.

((I both hate and love this show.))

Then the two ascend to a higher plane of existence, or at least I think that’s what happened since the screen was pretty blurry by this point.

Meanwhile the magical girls are fighting new monsters, wraiths, and Sayaka disappears. Mami says it’s because according to the Law of Cycles, the new universe they’re in, once they use up their magic they disappear.

((Considering Mami’s not trying to shoot anyone it’s safe to assume Kyubey is honest about this fact upfront, so already this universe is better in that regard. After all Kyubey doesn’t get energy by bringing the girls to despair, so he won’t get any satisfaction from their suffering.))

Kyoko is resentful that Sayaka died ((A sentiment I share)), but Mami reminds her that all magical girls will suffer the same fate when their hope turns to despair, a fact given out when they first get their powers.

Homura: (clutching Madoka’s red ribbons) Madoka

The other girls are confused, showing that Homura really is the only person to remember Madoka, which leads to a horribly perfect scene with Homura meeting the Kaname family.

((Ok, Madoka’s baby brother remembering her is both heartbreaking and adorable.))

Junko has no memory of Madoka, only thinks that she’s some imaginary friend Tatsuya (baby bro) created.

Junko: Do you know who Madoka is? Is she some anime character?

((@ Show: you no right to use Meta humor while I’m crying.))

Despite not knowing who Madoka is, Junko still feels warm and fuzzy when she heard that name, implying that even though her memories of Madoka don’t exist, she still has the emotions that those memories gave.

Homura offers the hair ribbon she’s wearing but Junko refuses saying it suits her more.

Junko: If I had a daughter I would make her wear one just like it.

(((*Crying*) You had a daughter. Why is this show doing this to me?))

In the next scene Homura has just told Kyubey about everything that happened in her previous universe.

((Homura there is an entire movie dedicated to showing how bad that decision was.))

Kyubey goes on to say that they have no way to prove what Homura says is true, even suggesting her memories may be false. He also finds the idea of turning the girls into witches to be a very appealing idea.

((So Kyubey’s a dick in this universe too. Nice to know some things are constant.))

Kyubey: If that kind of system really existed, us incubators would have come up with a completely different set of tactics.

((Oh my God… he just admitted that it was all on purpose. All that talk of, “Oh us incubators just don’t understand emotions…” No he just some bulls*it he made up to avoid blame, all those lies he told were systematically planned. God I need to lie down.))

Homura: It wasn’t as simple as you’d think… plus our relationship with you was a little on the rocky side.

Kyubey: I guess I’ll never fully understand human values.

((We both know that’s bulls*it Kyubey))

Now Homura spots some wraiths and jumps down from the building she’s on so she can fight them.

((Homura you could have just used the elevator.))

Homura: This world isn’t worth saving. Tragedy and sadness will never truly disappear. But even so, it’s the place she once tried to protect. I remember that and I will never ever forget it. That’s why I keep fighting.

((This message is one that I think needs to be part of all the “dark and edgy” TV shows. Yes this world can be an awful place, bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to terrible people. But those who have something or someone to fight for, those aspirations aren’t hopeless. When that someone who is selfless in their desires and knows what they want, they can make the world better, and that new world may not be a perfect one but it’s still worth protecting. If you just show tragedy after tragedy happens and you don’t offer any solution or any way to survive that world other than, “hey that’s the world we live in just adapt or die,” that doesn’t benefit anyone. All it does is leave people with a bitter taste in their mouths with the belief that only the bad guys can survive.))

Homura attacks the wraiths with a bow and arrow as a homage to Madoka, showing, no, I don’t need to stop time.

((Homura may not have fulfilled her wish by saving Madoka, but she did keep her promise to Madoka not to let her be tricked by Kyubey. Madoka has what she truly wants, and for now that’s all Homura needs.))

Madoka Magica Talley Series Total:

Times I cried: 19  
Times I wanted to kill Kyubey: He’s lucky he’s fictional.

 

Bonus:

 

Madoka comforted Homura amidst the glittery plane of existence. “I know all the things you’ve done for me. All of it.” Homura suddenly remembered just how long she’s been traveling through time. “All of it?,” Homura asked, remembering that secret love confession she slipped in Madoka’s locker that timeline when she already knew she’d have to reset everything even before Walpurgisnaucht. “All of it,” Madoka responded in a slightly more awkward tone. “All of it?!” Homura asked, remembering the fourth or fifth timeline when she realized her feelings for Madoka weren’t limited to just, “friendship and protection” and within the confines of her room gleefully reciting handwritten personalized “physical” love poetry. “…All of it,” Madoka said, wanting to leave before either of them remembered anything else.

It was going to be a long afterlife.

 

****************************************************************************************

 

Well that was… fun. Seriously though I did have a great time, especially viewing your comments.

 

Up next: Revolutionary Girl Utena

God Help me.

But first, let me know in the comments section if you want me to do Madoka Magica: Rebellion before I start the next series.


	13. Symbolism Galore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Major Spoilers for Rebellion* You have been warned.

Before I start Rebellion, I’d like to say what little thing the first compilation movie added was something I wish was in the original series. We all remember the rooftop scene in episode 7 when Homura and Madoka are having their chat about the soul gems and Homura tries to keep Madoka away from Sayaka right?

In the movie it’s pretty much the same except when Madoka asks, “Does this mean Sayaka can’t go back to living a normal life? If [Sayaka] didn’t use any magic, then she wouldn’t need grief seeds, and she wouldn’t have to fight witches anymore.” That’s actually a pretty good point, why can’t the girls just stop fighting once they know the truth about magical girls and witches? Until Homura says that since the girls’ souls are now in gem form their soul gems now have to use small amounts of magic just to maintain their body, as opposed to their body just functioning naturally.

It really adds to the sense of hopelessness of how the girls need to fight witches just for their survival and the isolation one would feel knowing your life depended on draining someone else’s soul.

 

The movie begins with Homura offering a brief summary of the series saying the only way for magical girls to keep their souls is to vanish from the world.

((Through this narration we see Homura’s soul gem float downward through what appears to be a door and we go deeper as the narration goes on, throughout the series we see the girls walking through doors in order to enter a witch’s labyrinth. We’re in for a wild ride.))

 

Homura: In this broken world…I dreamt of someone I knew and saw her familiar smile again.

((Gee I wonder why people ship Homura and Madoka?))

We see our new monster, the nightmares, appear with the same art style that the witches once had and starts it’s attack on Madokaland.

((I noticed a small “Welcome to the cinema” sign. It’s a little early to break the forth wall guys))

Madoka appears and …wait?? What?? Madoka you don’t exist! Anyway… Madoka fires her bow and Sayaka appears (Yay!) and her and Kyoko team up to attempt to defeat the nightmare. Once the nightmare escapes into a dining room Mami and “Bebe” aka the witch who ate Mami’s head show up, and once all four girls feed some food to the nightmare, it explodes in glittery light.

((Ok so the new monsters of the world, nightmares, are a more lighter and softer version of the witches we’ve seen in the series. Granted they can cause massive property damage, but they’re still teddy bears and pillows that can be defeated by giving them food. I would call that an improvement over guns and bombs.))

Madoka wakes up in her room, and there’s a repeat of the events that happened with the Kaname family except Madoka and her Mom talk about Hitomi and Violin boy having dating problems, Kyubey is sleeping in Madoka’s room, and the teacher is talking about the end of the world.

((Foreshadowing! Also Kyubey not being able to talk is a change I wholeheartedly support.))

Apparently the teacher keeps having problems because she refuses to compromise.

((Sounds quite a bit like Homura don’t you think?))

Madoka heads to schools with Kyubey on her sholder cueing the opening credits.

((The opening theme contains loving Symbolic bits of the girls having the time of their lives while Sayaka and Kyoko spend what is clearly a date at an amusement park, while Homura is doing the following: dramatically standing in the dark under a spotlight, dramatically angsting behind a clock, and dramatically sitting down while her friends dance around her. Oh yeah, her shadow also turns into a winged eldritch abomination but I’m sure that’s not important. What is important is Homura only shows emotion when she interacts with Madoka. First surprised and happy when Madoka drags her off to have fun, and devastated when reaches out to Madoka and Madoka turns into dust.))

Madoka heads to school with Sayaka and Kyoko and their entire interaction looks like something from a typical magical girl show.

((There’s a concept called fan disservice that can be summed up as: giving the fans what they wanted but done so in a way they regret wanting it in the first place. It’s usually used to describe more, uh, typical fanservice but the entire first act of this movie can be described this way. We see the girls fight less threatening villains, get shippy moments between Kyoko and Sayaka and later Madoka and Homura, but most of all we see the girls living the fun wake up, go to school, save the world plot we see in other magical girl shows but even without knowing the end it still feels like the story is making the audience walk on edge wondering how and when the rug is going to be pulled out from under us.))

On the way to school we see that Kyoko is now going to school with Madoka and Sayaka and also her and Sayaka are now living together.

((I would like to thank the devil of Madokaland for gracing us with this fact.))

Back in the classroom the teacher is going on about the end of the world occurring in their lifetime.

((Ok the teacher through the series did spout some nonsensical spiels related to her love life, but now her rambling are more disoriented like the witch’s barrier world. Also her quips about how she’s through with love and if all she has to look forward to is going through life then she’d rather have it end in an explosion. Remember episode 9 when Kyoko shattered her soul gem by creating an explosion? Yeah, Homura’s going through some shit.))

The teacher then brings out Homura to the class to introduce herself.

((It’s interesting how in this idealized world Homura isn’t her “cool” image but rather the adorable nerd we saw in her first timelines, the only difference is that she’s slightly more confident. Given who’s creating the idealized world it’s interesting to see what Homura sees as her idealized self.))

Homura subtly shows off her soul and the scene cuts to the entire cast on the roof talking about bringing Homura into the group with Mami even saying that Homura’s so powerful that the group’s strength would increase 100x.

((This part becomes funnier when we know who’s putting those words in Mami’s mouth.))

Homura says she’s not good with attacks (Ha) but will do what she can, and the other girls welcome her into the group.

Madoka is so happy to bring Homura into the group that she runs toward Homura, grabbing her hands causing Homura to experience a lesbian awakening.

One month has passed and Homura and Madoka are in a flower field bonding, Homura saying it feels like she’s known Madoka forever.

((Yeah almost like you’ve met her over several timelines.))

Madoka says that talking to Homura is something she feels like she’s wanted to do for a very long time, a sentiment Homura shares.

((So given how this is Homura’s world she created the Madoka she’s talking to and Homura hasn’t spoken to Madoka in quite a long time so any conversation that will follow between them is entirely from Homura’s perspective.))

Meanwhile Hitomi is on the phone with Violin boy who’s so busy with his music that he doesn’t have time for her. Hitomi says she’s tired of him dedicating himself to his work and wants him to spend time with her, and if she had her way then the thing causing him to be away from her would disappear, causing a nightmare to come forward.

((As much as I dislike Violin Boy, and I do very intensely, this scene isn’t about him and Hitomi. It’s more of a small-scale version of the events of the series. In the series Madoka really is going something important, she’s saving the souls of every magical girl who makes a contract, but in order to do that she had to erase herself from existence, and thus can’t exist in her world, Homura being the only one knowing about her existence. Homura knows that what Madoka is doing is extremely important; both for the world and Madoka herself, but instead of accepting that she resents Madoka having to be away from her. In this scene Hitomi creates a nightmare, creating her own world around her as a result of her anger and resentment, but in order to create that world she ends up hurting herself in the process. At this point in the movie Homura’s created a world where she can live an idealized world to live with Madoka but she’s destroying herself while creating this world.))

The magical girl gang gets notified of this nightmare, and Sayaka notices it’s Hitomi’s nightmare, saying to Kyoko she’s over Violin Boy.

((Ok I can see why Homura created this world because this part alone is beautiful,))

The two join Mami, who asks where Madoka and Homura are.

((Well, knowing those two…))

Once the group is together they transform and begin to fight the nightmare.

((I like how the girls keep their transformation themes from the series: Mami, flowers; Kyoko, fire; Sayaka, water; Homura, time; while Madoka gets her own thing. Madoka’s in particular is interesting because it’s mostly her cheering the girls on which makes since considering how Madoka originally considered becoming a magical just for the sake of becoming one))

With the girls working together they easily repair property damage and destroy the nightmare but not before singing the “cake song.”

((Ok this song is random even by the movie’s standards. What’s worth noting is how the song ends with Madoka saying in order to bring sweet dreams she, or the melon, has to be split. Guess what happens to her at the end of the movie.))

 

With the nightmare destroyed Hitomi’s back to normal and all the soul gems are purified, Mami advises the girls to be more careful in the future just in case before inviting everyone over for refreshments.

The girls look at the horizon looking forward to the day, Homura looks less enthusiastic and quietly walks with them on the way to Mami’s.

((This is the first turning point of the movie, Homura realizes this world is perfect and slowly thinks that it’s too good to be true questioning whether battling has always been that easy.))

There is a montage showing how Homura’s perception of the world is changing with background characters inside and outside the school having no defined faces, Mami’s food porn lunches look like soul gems.

 

((Kyubey promptly eats the gem that looks like Sayaka’s, why am I not suprised))

Madoka distracts Homura from her contemplation by being cute, but even that isn’t able to stop Homura for long so she goes to Kyoko for advise.

((At this point there is some art changes with some objects and background people look like they belong in a labyrinth and the tables Kyoko and Homura sit at look exactly like the tables Charlotte sat at in episode 3. Plus some of the designs are pink, a color mostly associated with Madoka.))

Homura: Have things seemed a little odd to you lately?

Kyoko: I don’t know what you mean odd like how?

((Oh you know random symphonies popping out of nowhere, walking into a room looking like an art student’s last minute design project?))

Homura says she wanted to speak to Kyoko because out of all the others she seemed the weirdest, a statement that obviously offends Kyoko.

((Homura I love you but you are terrible with people.))

 

Homura starts asking Kyoko basic questions about her life before Homura transferred to Madokaland but Kyoko can’t seem to remember much and as she talks the witch-like imagery around them starts to increase.

((After all Kyoko came to Madokaland in part because her family was killed by her dad because of “Kyoko’s witchy powers”, and from what we’ve seen of the nightmares they aren’t as much of a threat for Kyoko to be easily spotted by her father. Plus the fact Kyoko wouldn’t know this is pretty damn suspicious.))

Homura asks Kyokoto go with her to Kyoko’s home town a plan Kyoko reluctantly agrees with,

((Some of the complaints of rebellion is how Kyoko seems to be a flat character when compared to the others, hell half her dialogue is food related. However it does make sense considering out of all the magical girls on the show Kyoko and Homura didn’t have a lot of screen time together and judging by Kyoko’s remarks in episode 9 her and Homura didn’t know each other on a personal basis at least in later timelines. All Homura really knows about Kyoko are her basic personality traits, her love of food, and her fondness for Sayaka, and given how flirty the two have been through the movie it’s kind of funny how Homura’s brain translates fondness as “God I am gayer than rainbows for this girl.” Truly Homura represents all of us.))

The girls ride a bus that travels downward stopping to let faceless passengers off the bus.

((Images of Hades and the river Styx come to mind.))

Things go horribly wrong when the bus goes back to Madokaland instead of the city they’re supposed to go to.

Take 2: the girls get on yet another bus and an accordion theme starts playing.

((Hey every witch has to have her theme.))

((Since as far as we know Homura has never been to Kyoko’s hometown so she has no way of knowing what it looked like. Any details that Homura doesn’t know or remember are swept aside for this “perfect world.”))

The two exit the bus when it starts heading back to Madokaland, then they try walking to the other city.

((Ok Homura you have to know something is amiss because if you don’t, then honestly at this point I don’t know what to tell you.))

When the two “accidentally” end up back in Madokaland, Homura starts entering badass mode realizing nothing is beyond Madokaland and decides to investigate, only putting her adorable front when she tries asking Kyoko not to tell the others what they’ve seen.

((At this point the people in the world start looking more like familiars, some of which look like Homura, so I think that Homura knows she’s somewhat responsible for this but she doesn’t know how.))

Kyoko agrees and says she understands where Homura is coming from, saying the tougher version of Homura feels more familiar, and tosses her a lollipop.

((No matter what universe, if Kyoko offers you food, you are instantly best friends.))

With Kyoko gone, Homura is officially in badass mode, undoing her braids, removing her glasses, and immediately realizing she’s in a witch’s labrynth. Homura starts remembering the world of witches and the sacrifice Madoka made, and Homura finds it suspicious everyone is getting false memories.

Homura: I remember how hard I fought to change our cruel destiny.

((Uhh, Our? Last time I checked Homura you only fought to change Madoka’s fate. I’m detecting a little unreliable narrator moment.))

In the next scene Homura is at Mami’s house having tea with Mami, Madoka, and “bebe” aka Charlotte. Homura feels as awkward as anyone else would be when they’re in a room with a creature that ate one of the other guest’s head and said guest is chatting away and saying they’re best friends.

Homura asks how Bebe became part of the group, and neither Bebe nor Mami can answer her.

((What’s interesting is how Bebe seems to give her nervous response after we see a shot of Kyubey’s eyes, so now we know that Kyubey’s a lot less innocent in this movie than previously shown.))

Mami goes on to say what we know about her from episode 3, she’s less confident than she appears to be and would have given up if someone else hadn’t come along to support her, in this case Bebe. Madoka and Homura say that Mami is braver and stronger than giving up.

((Given how the Mami of this world is based on what Homura knows about the real Mami, this is a lot harsher to her considering the witch world of the series.))

If there’s one thing Mami can agree with Madoka it’s that she’s more confident knowing she’s fighting with all the girls on her side saying that in a life of constant battle any happiness they find is incredible.

((This sounds more like something Mami would say in the witch universe, since Homura’s starting to remember more about that universe it makes sense that some of Mami’s characteristics from that world would start to shine through.))

Homura asks Mami to make some more tea, and when she leaves the room Homura transforms and stops time to kidnap Bebe.

((Two things 1. Homura’s “I’m sorry Madoka” is kind of sweet and 2. Homura you’re grabbing the wrong creepy alien creature.))

Homura grabs Bebe and says she knows that Bebe was a witch and is the one behind all the strange things happening.

((Again, Homura you’re grabbing the wrong alien thing. Clearly you don’t remember Kyubey as well as you think you do.))

Once Homura has kidnapped Bebe she starts remembering everything over the timelines, regretting shattering Mami’s optimism and wants to erase the memory of all the hearts she’s broken.

((Homura’s adopted the philosophy “the ends justify the means” but this movie shows what that philosophy looks like, a long lonely path full of remorse and regret and in the end none of Homura’s harsh methods left a positive impact in the long run. The only way the witch world was able to change was by Madoka’s more optimistic approach to life, where she didn’t have to result to cruelty.))

Homura starts interrogating Bebe more harshly until Mami shows up tying her ribbon around Homura’s ankle. Mami said she was going to wait until she heard the whole story, but since Homura was hurting Bebe she acted quicker. Homura says that Bebe is deciving her, and that the city they’re in isn’t the real city. This baffles the hell out of Mami.

((This Mami doesn’t have memories of the witch world so of course Homura attacking her alien friend is going to seem random, especially sine up until now her perspective of Homura was that she’s a shy, timid girl.))

Mami frees Bebe and Homura tries to escape Mami’s ribbon by shooting it, but it just rematerializes around her.

Homura: I suppose this means you’re going to protect that creature.

((Are they going to fight?))

Mami: I’m giving you the chance to walk away. If you choose not to, you’ll have to fight me.

((*pulls out popcorn*))

*Cue one of the series’ best fight scenes which is so awesome it nearly cost ¼ of their budget*

(Finally I get to eat my popcorn))

The veterans duke it out until they’ve released 555464564534643 bullets and draw to a stalemate.

Then 2 even more badass events occur

1\. Homura who knows who “body” is her soul gem shoots herself in the head knowing no harm will come to her, and while Mami is distracted she’s able to disconnect both of them so she can stop time. Homura doesn’t want to kill Mami so she just shoots her in the leg.  
((Seems that talk of regretting harming the others was genuine.))

2\. Mami reveals that Homura was just fighting a ribbon based copy of herself and was never in any danger to begin with. So now Homura is trapped in Mami’s ribbons.

((Sorry Homura but this round goes to Mami))

 

Homura tries telling Mami about how everything is wrong but Mami is still focused on how Homura was still trying to kill Bebe. Homura tries teling her that witches are their enemy.

Mami: I don’t know what you’re saying witches aren’t our enemy, the wraiths are.

((This is the second turning point in the movie, this is when the world Homura has created is beginning to shatter when the Mami of this world remembers the events of the world Madoka created. This is also when our conflict changes because now Homura has to deal with the fact that once she turns the world back to the way it’s supposed to be, she’ll never see Madoka again. After Mami says this there’s a giant rip in the sky revealing a walnut, considering how Homura is the Nutcracker witch it shows how Homura’s witch form is starting to dominate after Homura realizes that about Madoka.))

Then Sayaka distracts Mami by throwing a sword and an exploding fire extinguisher so she can take Homura from Mami’s ribbons.

((Funny how Sayaka’s choice of weapon to distract Homura in episode one ends up saving her here.))

Then Bebe shows up in human form, with both Mami and the audience wondering how the hell that happened, to explain to Mami the plot of this movie.

((Not pictured:  
Mami: So you’re from an alternate timeline where magical girls transform into witches and that’s how you’re able to retain your memories.

Nagisa: exactly

Mami: Well you seem to know me pretty well. Did we know each other in your universe?

Nagisa: …… We’re on a limited time schedule so I’ll tell you after we complete the mission.))

Sayaka takes Homura to a secluded location and frees Homura completely. Sayaka teases Homura for picking a fight with the most powerful magical girl of the group, just because she thought Bebe was still a witch, saying Homura’s either brave or stupid.

Sayaka questions why a witch would go to so much trouble in order to not attack anyone.

Sayaka: You would have realized that if you had just stopped to think.

((I love Sayaka so much you guys))

Sayaka says the witch wants to keep things the way they are in that world and the only question is, why is that?

((Gee a world where Madoka is safe and _exists_ , magical girls don’t have to fight extremely dangerous enemies, and where Kyubey can’t talk, I wonder who would want that? Ok, to be fair I think everyone wants that last one.))

Homura is about to use her time stop powers when Sayaka uses her sword to jam her shield.

Sayaka: You count on that trick too much.

((God that’s amazing. I love Homura but she can overestimate herself, assuming her powers are the greatest powers. We all remember that infamous “let your guard down” scene when fighting Walpurgisnaucht.))

Sayaka starts asking Homura who she thinks is the witch and asks what Homura is going to do when she meets the witch responsible for trapping everybody. She also asks that if everyone is happier now why would Homura want to kill the witch responsible, even asking if the witch responsible for making everyone happy is really that evil?

((Sayaka is part of Madoka’s plan Operation: Save Witch Homura so this makes her messing with Homura about this funnier and asking if the witch is that bad more sweet….in a weird roundabout way.))

Homura: Are you siding with a witch?

((Keep in mind who you’re talking to Homura))

Sayaka: They’re what we become, go figure I’d sympathize.

((Sayaka has turned into a witch in literally every timeline Homura, I would think you would remember that.))

Homura starts remembering that Mami and Kyoko had no idea about witches, but remember wraiths, not because they’d forgotten but because witches never existed in the universe they’re supposed to be in.

((And it only took you 5 minutes to figure it out.))

Homura remembers Madoka’s sacrifice in the witch timeline, and Sayaka reveals she knows who Madoka is. Homura knows Sayaka shouldn’t know who Madoka is.

((Well this just got interesting))

Homura: There are 3 people in this world that don’t belong in it. The first one is the witch who made the labyrinth. The second is Bebe who looks like a witch. And the third one is [Sayaka Miki] who remembers witches.

((Homura, you’re forgetting about a certain pink haired girl.))

Sayaka says she’s the same person Homura’s always known, but once Homura sees a reflection of Oktavia in the water a fight scene breaks out. Sayaka escapes and asks Homura if she really wants to destroy the world the witch created otherwise Homura might regret it.  
((Yeah what Homura doesn’t know is that destroying the world “the witch” has created will end up either killing her or destroying her soul.))

We see the witch world is becoming more deranged in its art style.

((Whenever a magical girl turns into a witch their barrier reflects their motivations for crossing over the despair event horizon and as we see the barrier becoming more complex there is more childlike imagery, like cutesy drawings of Sayaka, Mami, and Kyoko and child familiars playing with simple toys possibly symbolizing a loss of innocence.))

Homura: Someone’s dragged us into this dream world, a coward whose turned her back on her responsibility to fight the wraiths. I can’t forgive anyone who’d do something like that.

((Dramatic irony thou art a heartless bitch))

Homura: magical girls must keep fighting always; it’s the price we’ve paid the price for our wishes. Our fate was tragic once, but she gave up everything to change it. This farce is wasting the sacrifice Madoka made for us, and I won’t allow it.

((And here we have our true reason why Homura’s so determined to find and kill this witch. Madoka gave up her physical form for the sole purpose of eliminating witches from the world. Hell in Homura’s imagination spot it looks like she’s begging Madoka to take her to the other plane of existence. Madoka was Homura’s sole purpose of living for dozens of timelines so her disappearance hasn’t done wonders for her psyche. If there is still a witch in the world Madoka created, the world Madoka gave up her existence for, then to Homura it’s a personal attack against both of them. How dare there still be witches when Madoka gave up everything to get rid of them.))

As Homura continues her quest, Madoka comes out and notices Homura from on top of a bridge. Homura realizes she still has blood near her eye from when she shot herself in the head and starts wiping it away as quickly as she can.

((TFW you meet your crush and you look like a dumpster fire.))

Madoka jumps from the bridge onto Homura’s boat and the two of them fall with Madoka landing on top of Homura in a suggestive position. Madoka, while still on top of Homura, says she’s been looking everywhere for her asking if Homura’s ok.

((Homura: *internally* No matter what happens I will forever treasure this moment.))

Unfortunately Homura’s angsting so hard not even this cheers her up for long. Madoka encourages Homura to talk about what’s bothering her saying that even if she can’t help she wants Homura to have the knowledge that she won’t have to go through what she’s going through alone.  
((Through the movie outside of Homura, obviously, the characters that have the most consistent characterization are Sayaka, who is an agent from outside Homura’s witch world, and Madoka. Homura said that she knew Madoka very well and she’s pretty much hit the nail on the head with Madoka’s personality. However there’s one key difference between the real Madoka and Homura’s Madoka.))

Homura decides to tell Madoka everything.

Homura: I had a dream and it scared me. In my dream you went someplace far away and it was so far I wasn’t going to be able to see you, and everyone forgot about you. No one remembered you except for me. I was the only one in the world who could. I was so lonely and sad and no one understood how I felt. I started to think all my memories of you were just things I made up. I thought I was going crazy.

((Throughout the series, including the movie, Homura only shows her emotions to Madoka so the events of the world of the wraiths for Homura are extremely honest. Assuming that Rebellion takes place 1-2 years after the events of the series, that’s a very long time to have memories of a person who, in the world you now inhabit, doesn’t exist. Of course over time Homura was going to doubt her perception of reality and you can’t deal with the grief of loosing someone important to you if that person, supposedly, no longer existed to begin with. I truly sympathize with Homura for having to deal with being alone in her grief for God knows how long, however for the purpose of the rest of the scene it’s crucial to point out that Homura forgets to tell Madoka one crucial detail. Namely that Madoka had to go away because in doing so she saved thousands of magical girls’ souls and countless lives who have been destroyed by witches created by those despaired souls. From the information what the Madoka of the this world is getting, she just left for no goddamn reason.))

Madoka comforts Homura saying that it’s ok because she’s not going anywhere, she’d never want to be so far away she’d never see Homura again, it would even break her heart.

Homura: *tearing up* Leaving us behind would hurt you that much.

Madoka agrees saying she would never want to leave her friends or family saying she would never have the courage to do something like that, she’s too weak to do that even if she did have a choice.

((It would be easy to say that Homura is just putting those words in her mouth but the Madoka of Homura’s world is pretty identical to the Madoka of the real world except this Madoka is living the life Homura thinks Madoka deserves, living a wonderful life with friends and family, fighting nonthreatening monsters while saving people without any consequence to herself, and is spared the manipulations and emotional abuse that Kyubey had been piling on her for about a month. This Madoka wasn’t piled into that corner where she was at the point where in order to protect her loved ones and fellow magical girls she had to sacrifice herself. Even the words Madoka is saying implies that the choice she did make in that world was a brave one, one that Homura does, in a way, understand. She belived what Madoka did was a very brave choice and not something she took lightly and also wasn’t a choice she would make if she didn’t believe that making that choice would change the world for the better. Until this scene that is…))

The flowers around Homura turn purple as Homura says she should have stopped Madoka back when she made her wish. Homura holds on to and tells Madoka that she hopes Madoka will realize that there are things only she can do, and she will know how strong and kind she really is.

((So this is where Homura starts believing that Madoka is miserable in her goddess state and sets off a chain of events leading to Homura’s final decision regarding Madoka’s state of being. What makes this scene worse is that Homura as much as she hated Madoka’s choice to leave she could have eventually accepted it if she knew for sure that Madoka’s decision made her happy instead with the look of pain and horror we see in Homura’s eyes she leaves believing Madoka only made her choice out of duty.))

Homura acknowledges that the Madoka she’s talking to might be fake but it doesn’t matter because she can tell she’s “the real Madoka,” because Homura can see and talk to her and it makes her happy.

((And here’s where Homura makes her crucial mistake, she knows on some level that the Madoka she’s talking to isn’t real but the joy she feels at just being able to see and talk to her again blinds her to the fact that fake Madoka and real Madoka have different interests at heart.))

Homura tells Madoka she has to leave to take care of things and appreciates Madoka’s presence because nothing made her happier.

Homura calls Kyoko asking if she remembers witches, “no,” and if she remembers Madoka, “yes.” Homura starts putting the pieces of her investigation together, realizes that for this barrier to exist someone would have to know about Madoka in the first place, apologizing to Kyoko for getting her involved in everything.

Homura tests her final theory by seeing how far she can travel from her soul gem, the most being 100 meters. She becomes more disoriented but she proves to be all right as clocks start appearing behind her.

((Gee I wonder whose power involves time?))

A fire bursts out symbolizing Homura’s realization that she knows who the witch is. The witch is Homura herself.

((GASP! I love how when Homura makes her realization known to the audience we hear a little bit of Symposium Magarum Oktavia’s theme, a.k.a the witch who showed us the truth about the origin of the witches.))

With that question answered only one remains. Which bunny eared creature is responsible for this? Turns out Kyubey is responsible.

((Oh my god Kyubey did something evil, *rolls eyes*, I never would have expected this twist.))

So the incubators created an isolation chamber for Homura’s body so they could examine her soul gem to see what would happen to a tainted soul gem in close environments. The reason the did this was during the events of episode 12 when Homura, in an ill-advised moment of good faith, told Kyubey about the universe where magical girls fought witches instead of wraiths and they thought, “hey that seems pretty neat.” Oh and btw the isolation chamber is the only thing stopping Homura from turning into a witch.

((I almost forgot how much I hated Kyubey but this scene is doing a pretty good job of reminding me.))

Also Kyubey set up the witch barrier so victims could still be lured in, so Homura accidentally brought the other magical girls, Hitomi and Violin boy, and the law of Cycles Madoka.

((Whoops.))

The entire reason they did this was so they could observe Madoka.

Kyubey: [Madoka] lost sight of who she really was and her capabilities. So we couldn’t do anything to her.

((We’ve seen incubators have the power to go into people’s brains and give them pain equal to the type shown in battlefields, God knows what they would have done to Madoka if they were able to “take care of” the girl who defied them.))

Kyubey tells Homura that her witch world has crumbled because she found out the truth and says that if she reaches out to Madoka then she’ll be saved from becoming a witch. Homura who knows Kyubey, knows pretty damn well that Kyubey isn’t interested in going through a lot of trouble just for curiosity’s sake. Kyubey, for once, is speechless.

((And how. When people call out manipulators on their lies it either ends in one of two ways. They either tell an even worse lie to temporarily deflect situation or they just let their victims say as much as they want. The later only occurs when the manipulator is so confident that they’re in control that any words or action the victim can take against them is pointless in the long run.))

Homura: You want to control Madoka don’t you!

((Ding! Ding! Ding!))

Kyubey admits that yes that was their goal to control Madoka and break the law of cycles so the Incubators could turn magical girls into witches and create more energy in a single blast.  
Kyubey: You magical girls are the gateway to limitless possibilities. In our humble opinion you should all conclude your existence by transforming into witches.

((*Inhales deeply* Fuck you Kyubey! Fuck you! You have all the energy you could need from attacking wraiths. Even if your “the universe is dying” bullshit story was true you don’t need to do any of this. The only reason you would even consider turning magical girls into witches is because you’re too greedy to understand when enough is enough and because you get some sort of sick pleasure from tormenting girls until their souls explode.))

Kyubey tries to deflect blame from himself saying that since what Homura wanted more than anything was to see Madoka again and now Homura can finally get her wish.

Homura: Hardly, I am anything but happy.

((translation: You come into my barrier, say that the love of my life sacrificing her very existence was entirely pointless, and have the audacity to say that I should be happy about it. Hell no, I will destroy my own soul before I let you put a finger on her.))

Homura tries to purposefully complete her transformation into a witch, a change of events that shocks Kyubey. Homura says that her reason for becoming a magical girl was to save Madoka and that won’t change even if she has to turn into a witch.

Kyubey: You’re willing to give up your salvation for her. If you do, you’ll spend the rest of eternity living among all these curses.

((As much as I hate Kyubey, **especially in this movie** , the fact that Homura makes the decision to destroy her soul in just a few seconds points to while Homura’s love and devotion to Madoka is genuine and admirable, it also has grown to obsessive levels to the point of self destruction.))

Homura: Not at all, in fact I’ll make sure this labyrinth will be my grave. Mami Tomoe and Kyoko Sakura are both here I have faith in them.

((We even get a cute little symbolic scene of the two watching Homura decapitate herself… can I turn back to the cutsy beginning of this movie?))

Kyubey points out how if Homura dies inside the isolation chamber then Madoka won’t be able to find her thus Homura will fall into despair and will never see Madoka again.

Kyubey: you can’t want that!

Homura: Would you just shut up all ready!!

((Homura _really_ does not want that, and the fact that Kyubey points that out is torture to her. Homura knows she’s the only link between Madoka and Kyubey so if she dies, he doesn’t have a plan B, I mean let’s face it it’s not easy to find a Goddness. However, in order to save Madoka, Homura has to kill her soul so her love and gradual obsessiveness has led to her falling into despair and becoming a witch. Homura doesn’t want that and worse, for her, Madoka doesn’t want that so in order for Homura to protect Madoka and stop Kyubey from making Madoka’s wish pointless, Homura feels she has to betray Madoka by becoming the very thing Madoka wished would never exist.))

As Kyubey monologues about human’s irrationality Homura’s familiars kill him several times.

((At least there’s one saving grace about this scene.))

Homura jolts up in a flower field and sees Madoka fall and become nothingness and realizing ultimately there’s nothing she can do to save Madoka and will never see her again becomes aware of her witch state. Her emotions have eaten her alive unable to remember anything but regret and glimmers of light that were once in her life. The only thing we see in Homura’s labyrinth directly related to Madoka is locked away never to be seen again. Homura spends her last moments of consciousness thanking Madoka for entering her life one last time and apologizing for never saying goodbye to her.

((Homura’s witch is the witch of self-sufficiency; once she no longer had use her wish was to become executed in the hopes that it would give her some forgiveness. Her familiars, those who represent Homura’s desires, are shown mourning her and are later shown removing their shoes and jumping into oblivion implying they’ve committed suicide.))

The magical girl gang groups up and they’re all terrified of Homilly’s, Homura’s witch form’s, appearance, except for Sayaka.

Sayaka: You don’t have to be scared of her. She looks horrible, but she’s the one who’s suffering here.

((Sayaka, a former witch, knows what goes on after a magical girl turns into a witch. What we see from the gang’s rescue Homura is still conscious within their witch forms, and the witch form have taken control of her actions, implying that this happens to all magical girls.))

Kyubey: Wait a moment that’s Homura Akemi! You’re not really going to fight your friend are you?

((Oh shut up Kyubey no one asked you))

Kyoko’s indifferent to Kyubey’s sudden verbalness, Mami’s just going to trust Bebe, Bebe looks at Kyubey with an angry expression on her face ((same Bebe same)), and Madoka has no idea what’s going on.

Kyubey tells Madoka that she can save Homura if she realizes the true power she holds inside her.  
((The analyzer in me wants to acknowledge how similar that sentence is compared to Kyubey’s first interaction with Madoka in the series prologue about how making a contract with him would “save the world”, and how ironic a statement that is coming from him since we know his motivation behind saying both that and him wanting Madoka to “acknowledge her real power”, whereas the viewer in me just wants pause the video so I can flip off the screen for 20 min.))

Sayaka tells Madoka not to listen to Kyubey and just do what they planned.

((*hugs Sayaka*))

Bebe transforms into Nagisa, her human form and Sayaka stabs herself to gain Oktavia’s power so the fight scene/ rescue mission can begin. Since both girls were witches they are able to help Madoka stop Kyubey from ending the law of cycles. They were able to slip past Kyubey because he shortsightedly decided to only focus on Madoka. Both girls served as the other’s backup in case things went wrong.

((Those two are offering one of the greatest “fuck you Kyubey ” scenes this series has to offer…. Oh who am I kidding they’re all great.))

Sayaka feels like sending in everyone is overkill but hey Homura spent God knows how many timelines fighting so it’s the least they can do.

((*Cue return of the timeline chairs*))

Madoka still doesn’t know what’s happening but Mami nudges her to start working together to save Homura.

Any time Madoka gets involved in fighting the scene gets 1000x more awesome and what we get is Homura unleashing all her familiars to fight the girls, Madoka shooting her bow and arrow into the sky, and while weapons ensue Homura begs the girls to just let her die.

((Homura thinks she’s beyond salvation so she believes the only way she can redeem herself is by killing herself and therefore finally able to save Madoka without causing any more issues. Homura has a issues resulting from her single minded dedication to fighting Madoka and watching her and the other girls die “countless” times, so much so that the little talk she had with Madoka back in episode 12 wasn’t able to fully ease the traumatic experiences.))

Sayaka is exasperated with this extra effort and Kyoko’s wondering what the hell the girls dragged her into. Kyoko sets Sayaka down gently and it seems like the fondness shown between the two wasn’t just a byproduct of Homura’s interpretation of their relationship.

Kyoko: I had a horrible dream about you last night. You were dead, but it wasn’t a dream, it was real wasn’t it? This here, us fighting side by side this is the dream. Ain’t it?

(( :( ))

Sayaka: It would be sad if it were, but it’s not like that, not really. I thought I didn’t have any regrets when I died (*holds Kyoko’s hand*)) but the truth is when I found out about this assignment I jumped at the chance to come back, cause in the end I did have one regret. You I missed you.

((This has an adorable double meaning to it. Sayaka most likely has memories of 2 different timelines. The timeline of the wraiths and the timeline of when Madoka made her wish to erase all witches. In both timelines her and Kyoko were starting to become friends right around the time she died or turned into a witch, only in the witch timeline Sayaka remembers Kyoko trying to bring her out from the edge of despair and finally, behind Oktavia’s eyes, witnessing Kyoko make her heroic sacrifice just so Sayaka wouldn’t die alone. Sayaka died before she was able to tell Kyoko how she felt, and Sayaka’s actions in Homura’s universe were partly to show the Kyoko of the wraith world how much Kyoko’s actions in both timelines meant to her.))

Nagisa: Seriously, I came back cause I wanted to eat cheese one more time.

((Nagisa, the world’s cutest mood killer.))

Sayaka and Kyoko resume their battle against Homilly, but this time the two are working as a team.

((*incoherent fan girl squealing*))

The fight scene becomes even more ridiculously awesome with Homura unleashing a familiar the size of king Kong because of reasons, Mami bursts in a trio finale with a tank the size of a city because hey, why not?, and Sayaka’s witch form hold open the hole so Madoka has a way to easily shoot open the barrier with her arrow of awesomeness.

The barrier is open, the guillotine is destroyed, and the Incubators outside look like they’re 5000 feet tall.

((Well I’m going to have nightmares.))

Madoka exists the barrier so she and Homura can reunite.

We get a glimpse of what happens to the girls who become witches, Homura flashes back to when she’s still her nerdy self and Madoka asks Homura to shoot her soul gem.

((A different Homura is shown standing up pointing a gun at another version of herself, and it’s shown that Homura’s fate when she turns into a witch is to relive the worst moment of her life until she kills that moment, but if that happened Homura wouldn’t have just killed the memory, she would have killed everything that made her Homura Akemi and thus letting the witch take control with her “self” dead. That’s why the girls’ witch forms are so monstrous, because they’re forced to kill their own humanity.))

Madoka reaches out to Homura saying that no matter what happens Homura is still herself, and Madoka would never abandon Homura no matter what. Madoka uses her goddess powers to edge Homura out of despair, and Homura apologizes to Madoka for being so weak, and all she wanted was to see her again.

((Well nice to know everything’s going to wrap up nicely.))

Homura: I’d commit the worst sins for one chance, even if it turned me into a monster. It wouldn’t matter as long as I could have you back.

((While Homura’s decision 10 minutes later may seem random, Homura is talking present tense here, as in “I would and would continue to.” She’s not saying she wouldn’t do so in the future. Especially now that Homura was forced to relive the memory of killing Madoka several times over. Whatever was left of Homura’s peace of mind, it evaporated once that memory became prominent.))

Madoka asks Homura to fight together to end this, and through the power of lesbianism and flowers they are able to kill the witch barrier and 4663854657904579 Kyubeys.

((This is fanservice in its purest form))

Mami places Homura’s soul gem, now blue instead of purple, by her chest.

((Hmm))

The civilians are now safe, the magical girls remember the law of cycles, and Madoka arrives to take Homura with her in magical girl heaven.

Madoka: I remember, the reason I’m here was to get Homura back. I can’t believe I’d forget something so important.

((Aww))

Sayaka: Well you did have some unnecessary interference. What a trip.

((Understatement of the century.))

Madoka: You waited for me all this time. I’m sorry it took so long but I’m here now.

((Well this is shaping up to be a nice ending))

Madoka: Come on lets go. From now on we’ll be together.

((Yes Homura. Please go and enter lesbian heaven.))

Homura: You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this.

((Oh crap))

This understandably puzzles Madoka but before she can ask…

Homura: Now I’ve got you.

A close up on Homura’s cracked soul gem reveals that a bunch of new colors are swarming inside of it.

Homura: I don’t expect you to understand. No one in the world could possibly understand. This emotion is mine and mine alone. And I’ve been saving it for her….It has to be this way. I’m never going to let you go again Madoka.

Homura’s soul gem spreads through the universe. She is now the devil of Madokaland.

((I’m very conflicted about this movie’s decision to do that. On the one hand I understand it within the context of Homura as a character and in the context of this movie. Homura has spent countless timelines devoted to Madoka and mostly Madoka. Then Madoka left the universe entirely with her existence erased, leaving Homura seemingly alone and with several unresolved issues and years later in this movie Homura was able to see Madoka again affirmed that Madoka’s existence wasn’t something she made up and after she had that talk in the flower field Homura **genuinely** believes Madoka is miserable as a goddess, and on top of that Homura recently turned into a witch and as we saw with the recreation of the infamous gunshot scene, it wasn’t a very pleasant moment so her decision to do this seems an impulsive attempt to save Madoka muddled by recent trauma rather than a premeditated attempt to control her. On the other hand poor Madoka, who spent the entire season being manipulated by Kyubey and when she finds a way to use her wish in a way that truly benefits her she spends the movie being targeted by Kyubey yet again just so they can collect more energy and when she finally gets her memories back so she can save one of her best friends from despair, only for said friend to forcefully strip her of her powers. Also within the context of the entire series I’m not a fan of this decision. Homura to me represents the audience as a surrogate especially shown in episode 10, she goes into it excited and hopeful that becoming a magical girl is a wonderful thing that she’ll be able to save the world and get what she truly desires doing it. As time goes on however, it’s evident that Madokaland’s version of magical girls involves a lot more despair than previously thought. When Homura reaches near the end, she believes that there’s nothing that can save the world and that the only option was to let it rot. Madoka heard Homura say that and said, no the world has so many wonderful things in it and in the end she’d never let the world crush hope. And it was because of Madoka’s belief that hope should triumph over despair that she was able to win against Kyubey and end the suffering of all magical girls. The series was about hope triumphing over despair. The movie is about despair triumphing over hope. Because of that I like to view the movie as an alternate version of events rather than a sequel, at least that’s how I’ll consider it unless we get a sequel movie or series.))

Homura decides to have a talk with Kyubey.

Kyubey: (translation) What did we do? Homura what the hell have you become?

Homura: I remembered why I repeated time and suffered over and over again. My feelings for Madoka they run so deep even pain has become precious to me. And as for my soul gem a curse isn’t what’s tainting it.

Kyubey: Then what is?

Homura: Something you can’t understand incubator… [it’s] love.

((Homura, I think what you call a love that’s directed toward a person and not caring about the consequences of your actions in order to satisfy that love is considered obsession.))

Kyubey: Then what are you?

Homura: You’re right I’m not a magical girl or a witch. Madoka is as sacred as a God and I pulled her from heaven. So if you want to know what I’ve become I suppose if anything you can call me a demon now.

((2 things: 1 I don’t think Homura is referring to Madoka as “sacred as a God” just because of her becoming the law of cycles. Homura’s devotion to Madoka is too strong for just that reason. 2. Who designed Homura’s “demon” outfit? She’s 14 she shouldn’t look like a model for _S and M Lovers Monthly_.))

Kyubey, who is proving that logic does not equal “thinks things through,” calls Homura irrational for saying that. Homura grabs him and says that his job is now useless since she can take care of the curses spreading through the world. But he’s going to stay and “help her.”

((In this moment Kyubey realized how badly he fucked up.))

Cut to Homura enjoying some tea in the middle of her new world. Everything seems normal except for the clara dolls Homura created and an old familiar of Bebe scampering across before disappearing proving how despite everything looking perfect it’s no better than a witch’s labyrinth.

Mami’s walking to school with no soul gem, implying she’s no longer a magical girl, Kyoko is enjoying some food with Homura’s familiars, and Sayaka is pissed off at what Homura has done.

Homura knows what she did, but wanting to hear from Sayaka she resists her usual “don’t care” attitude. Sayaka points out that since Madoka is no longer the law of cycles then Magical girls no longer have their salvation. Homura says that all she took was the piece that use to be Madoka before she ceased to exist.

((In other words all of her.))

Homura’s only concern is that everyone else got pulled into her world, to which Sayaka retorts that she had no right to do any of this. Homura says that since she’s now evil she can do anything she wants including disrupt the laws of a god.

((Somehow that logic actually makes sense, if not for the fact that Homura shouldn’t be doing any of this in the first place.))

Homura says she’ll take care of the wraith but warns Sayaka she might become her enemy afterward and asks if Sayaka could stand up against her, proving her point by being able to stop Oktavia by just clapping her hands.

((Throughout this scene the animation starts focusing on Homura’s body in weird ways and shows off unnatural movement. Despite Homura’s seemingly flirtatious manner with Sayaka, hell in the first takes of the movie she sounds like a little girl, this could usually show a character’s playful side the way she talks is…off almost as though she’s about to cry or start laughing hysterically. She’s been talking that way since she was freed from becoming a witch implying that despite being freed from Homilly her thought process is still that of a witch.))

Sayaka starts forgetting everything about how the world should be while her companion Nagisa is just happily acting like a kid, running to school in casual clothes.

((Remember the part about the two girls being backup for each other to hold Madoka’s memories of being a Goddess…yeah they’re going to be stuck there for a while.))

Homura warns Sayaka that if she keeps attacking Homura then Madoka might end up hating Sayaka for it.

((Seems like Homura is trying to take Sayaka’s place in the universe she created.))

Sayaka sees Hitomi and Violin boy and cries tears of joy, not expecting to miss them so much.

((As much as I want the law of Cycles to start up again, I would like it if Sayaka got to enjoy herself as a normal middle school student again at least for a little while.))

Meanwhile back at the school, a repeat of the series and movie’s beginning happens but this time with Madoka as the transfer student instead of Homura. Madoka apparently has spent three years living in America before coming back to Japan.

((Almost three years passed between the start of the series and the date this movie premiered so that’s some nice meta humor.))

The classmates are all mesmerized by Madoka and want to know what it was like living in America.

((Madoka: Let’s just say I’m happy to be back in Japan.))

Homura walks up to Madoka asking the girls around her to give Madoka some space ((flashbacks to the first day of school I’m assuming)), and then asks Madoka is she can call her by her first name and if she wanted a tour of campus.

In a weird call back to the first episode Homura starts leading Madoka around the school telling Madoka to call her by her first name.

The girls start making small talk and Madoka starts remembering her surroundings, and just before Homura can start planning future mall trips and slumber parties Madoka starts remembering that she’s supposed to be different. This horrifies Homura, who holds onto Madoka before she can transform into a Goddess.

Homura: It’s ok you’re exactly what you should be. What you’ve always been. (with a terrified look on her face) Madoka Kaname do you treasure the world you live in or would you break its laws to follow your heart.

((Homura’s not as happy after creating this world as she thought she would, hell even her familiars are throwing rotten tomatoes at her, but keeping Madoka out of a system she believes her to be miserable in it’s worth it.))

Madoka says she treasures her world, but no one should break the rules just because they feel like it.

((Listen to her Homura, you may find that advice to be more applicable than you realize.))

Homura says that she might become Madoka’s enemy in the future, but even so she’ll keep wishing for a world that will make Madoka happy. Homura puts the red ribbons Madoka gave her at the end of the series back in Madoka’s hair and starts tearing up

Homura: I knew it. They always did look better on you.

((This is what makes Rebellion so heart breaking. Even though we know that Homura’s reaction was in the wrong, the movie ends by showing us that for all the badassery Homura is a middle school aged girl who has been traumatized so completely that she believes that the only way she can save the girl who showed her true kindness, to give her kindness and stop having her make sacrifices for everyone and just have a normal, happy life is to do something so terrible that the friendship she sold her soul for is ruined and she’ll never be forgiven. And the worst part is she knows she **shouldn’t** be forgiven.))

The movie ends with a montage of all the former magical girls looking happy in their new lives.

((It does seem like a happy ending all things considered, Madoka, Sayaka, and Nagisa are back from the dead, Mami and Kyoko’s emotional scars are repaired, and Homura seems to be able to take care of the wraiths without magical girls. However there are still a lot of unanswered questions that leave an unsettling feeling namely the question of what will happen if Madoka or one of the girls in charge of remembering the law of cycles gets their memories back? How far is Homura willing to go to keep Madoka in a guilded cage?))

Credits

We get an ending song with lovely lyrics such as

“I want to run  
and find a place  
that is brighter than correctness”

“To the guardian  
of your innocent slumber:  
The gateway to adulthood is shut tightly”

 

“All those things like "hopes" and "the future"  
are but a selfish story  
drawn by someone from a distant garden”

“Come closer quietly,  
don't go anywhere  
Chirp your song by the window  
What is there for you to lose?”  
“The dream in my arms  
has locked away the lies and grief  
of a kind person  
Toward the endless beginning,  
and towards the true ending  
Come closer quietly,  
don't go anywhere  
Chirp your song by the window,  
don't go anywhere”

((If we don’t get a sequel I’m afraid Homura will go Yuno Gasai on us.))

There is a nice little stick drawing story going along with the credits implying that there is some hope for these two characters to live happily.

The stinger of the movie shows Homura chilling out by a cliff side but when she sees Kyubey’s outline she dances around him before jumping off that cliff side in an ironic echo of the final episode.

((Translation: I know everything you’ve done Kyubey and I’m not sorry in the least.))

The final glimpse we see of Kyubey is him lying on the ground disheveled on the ground with a blank look on his face and shaking, in the entire series we have **never** seen Kyubey shaking with fear.

((If there’s one amazing thing I can say about this ending it’s that Kyubey lost and he knows it. When he found out about the law of cycles his response was basically, “foolish humans can’t understand our clearly superior logic so we’ll start the witch system again.” That changed when Homura became in charge of the universe. Basically in the law of cycles Kyubey still led a good life, until his give me what I want when I want it desires kicked in, and now because of that selfishness, he knows that with Homura in charge he’s turned into her servant, to be mistreated however she wants him to be mistreated. This time Kyubey is left with the knowledge that if he didn’t start meddling he could have lived a good life under Madoka’s merciful reign so whatever suffering he endures he knows he’s completely responsible for it.))

End movie

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, please share with friends, leave a kudos, and/or leave comments, serious: "I love this because blahh blahh blahh" or otherwise: "I'd sell my soul to Kyubey for another chapter."


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